If a prophet in 2016 had told Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai and Abubakar Malami, SAN, that in ten years there would be famine, and that a year like 2026 would come, they would have laughed in their pride and ordered their men to cast the prophet into a lake of fire and brimstone.
Ha! Back then, El-Rufai and Malami were law to themselves, untouchable, powerful, in fact powerfully. El-Rufai, as Governor of Kaduna State, carried the weight of federal backing like armor, bold, fearless, sometimes ruthless. His words could silence opponents, his actions could shift destinies, many saw him as invincible.
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Malami, as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was the ultimate gatekeeper. His signature could shape outcomes, his silence could bury controversies. Together, they were a formidable duo, the embodiment of influence in Buhari’s government. Malami could even snatch a rich man’s wife and nothing would happen, lol. Did he?
And yet, with that power came recklessness. Rules bent to convenience, opponents sidelined, state machinery turned into instruments of fear. It seemed permanent, like their authority could never be challenged. Even me I did not believe 2026 would come.
But 2026 is here, and the lesson is clear. Power is temporary. Today’s invincible can be tomorrow’s history. Today’s fearsome can face judgment, legal, political, or moral. Only God knows tomorrow. Only Allah understands how quickly fortunes can change.
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Power is a trust, not ownership. It is a test, not a prize. And no matter how mighty you feel today, one day it is unknown people that determine your record, not your title, not your influence.
So, for those in authority, act with wisdom. Lead with restraint. Govern with humility. Let wisdom be more powerful than power itself, for it endures beyond fear, beyond influence, beyond office.
Allah Sarki.
Pelumi Olajengbesi is a Legal Practitioner based in Abuja, Nigeria.
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