Senate President Godswill Akpabio has advised second-term governors to exercise caution when selecting their successors, warning against choosing candidates based merely on displays of subservience.

Speaking on Saturday at the commissioning of the first 30 kilometres of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Lekki, Lagos, Akpabio emphasized that governors who select successors simply because they kneel or show excessive deference may be setting themselves up for disappointment and betrayal.

"Do not give power to anybody who is not looking for power. Don't give power to anybody who is not prepared," Akpabio stated. "Don't go hiding in your heart that this boy is very subservient; he is always kneeling when he is talking to me, his wife is always rolling on the floor, I think I should make this one the governor."

The Senate President warned that such decisions often lead to governance failures. "If you do that, you are giving power to somebody who is not prepared for governance and they will disappoint you. This is where betrayals normally start," he cautioned.

Akpabio particularly directed his advice to governors in the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging them to prioritize visionary leadership qualities over displays of loyalty when considering potential successors.

"For the progressive governors, I believe that all of you are doing well because you are being led by a man who has both sight and vision," he added, referring to President Bola Tinubu who was present at the event.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by several notable figures including President Tinubu, Works Minister Dave Umahi, and second-term governors Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

Akpabio's comments come at a time when several second-term governors across Nigeria are approaching the end of their constitutional tenures, with succession plans likely being formulated behind closed doors.