In a country burdened by the weight of broken systems, failed promises, and restless citizens, one would expect that those entrusted with the highest offices of the land would be the exemplars of restraint, decency, and decorum. But alas, even the mighty sometimes lose their manners. This week, Nigerians were treated unwillingly, to an embarrassing spectacle at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, where none other than Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, a former governor and now the sitting lawmaker representing Edo North, turned a bustling airport terminal into a theater of shame.
Like a bull in a china shop, Oshiomhole reportedly stormed the terminal of Air Peace after arriving fashionably late; well past the 6:30 am scheduled departure time of his Abuja-bound flight. Rather than accept his own tardiness like a man of honour, the senator opted for the might-is-right approach, throwing caution, and basic civility to the wind. He allegedly attempted to force his way through security checks long after boarding had been closed, and when rightly denied access, he didn’t just throw a tantrum, he shut down the entire terminal.
What followed was nothing short of legislative lawlessness: passengers stranded, operations halted, and Nigeria once again dragged into the mud of global ridicule, all because one man mistook public office for private privilege.
This disgraceful conduct, unbecoming of any public servant, let alone a former governor and senator, is a chilling reminder that some of our so-called leaders still see themselves as emperors in a democratic republic. Oshiomhole, once a fiery labour leader who railed against abuse of power, has now become the very embodiment of executive arrogance. The irony is pungent.
Where is the honour in the honourable, when a man sworn to uphold the law becomes the very storm that disrupts peace, order, and process? How do we demand discipline from the youth when elders in high places carry on like street thugs in agbada?
This airport fiasco is not just a blight on Oshiomhole’s personal image; it is an affront to every Nigerian who has ever endured long queues, delays, and the dehumanizing hustle of our public infrastructure without throwing a fit. Leaders should set the standard, not bulldoze it.
We must say this clearly: the laws of punctuality, protocol, and order do not bend for political titles. A flight waits for no man—not even a senator. Oshiomhole’s desperate attempt to weaponize his political status against airport procedure smacks of entitlement marinated in hubris. It is the kind of behaviour that has brought Nigeria to her knees—where service is strangled by ego, and decency is sacrificed on the altar of status.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) must take this matter seriously. Let there be no sacred cows. If a common man had pulled such a stunt, he’d have been in cuffs. For once, let the scales of justice not be tilted by titles.
To Senator Oshiomhole, we say: you missed your flight, not your manners. It is not too late to find them.
It’s high time our leaders understood that power is not a licence to misbehave. Let this episode be a wake-up call. Nigeria is not a jungle, and senators are not warlords. If those who make laws act lawless, then chaos is not far behind.
And so we end where we began, with disappointment. But also with hope: that the law will not look the other way, and that one day, office holders in this nation will know that true power lies not in throwing weight around, but in leading by example.
Enough of the drama. Let dignity return to public service.
