…Real leadership protects institutions and fosters inclusion
By Chris Osa Nehikhare
The recent White House meeting between Donald Trump and New York City Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani showcased leadership at its best: two ideological opposites sat down, listened, and sought common ground to address real problems. It was a reminder that leadership is about collaboration and respect for institutions, not personal power.
The contrast could not be sharper. On one hand, a meeting in the Oval Office where ideological rivals genuinely seek to collaborate.
Contrast this with Edo State, where Governor Monday Okpebholo has flagrantly undermined democracy. After illegally suspending elected council chairmen, he went further—conducting local government elections to replace councillors who refused to participate in his illegality, and then appointing his own loyalists as chairmen from the illegally “elected” councillors. This is a blatant violation of the law and a shocking abuse of office, undermining the very foundations of local governance.
The lesson is clear: real leadership protects institutions and fosters inclusion; abuse of power isolates and destroys them. Edo citizens deserve governance that upholds the law, not one that substitutes legality with cronyism.
