I think you’re confusing “power” and “right”/”authority”?
I think if we were looking at a "right" it would not have happened. It was never the example of the early church. Even in the early 100's the Shepherd of Hermes indicates leaders in Rome, not a leader.
I think it developed in part due to external forces such as Marcion as well as internal desires to be able to "just get things done". I am not ascribing any evil intent. It was an organizational trend that led to events like what occurred to the Donatist's.