A Letter to My Presidents

Your Excellences,

I Nnanna Ikpo, male, adult, friend, Nigerian of this place congratulate Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, and General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) for boldly participating in the interesting events that have been playing out in the Nigerian Political scene. For the first time, in a long time, I have seen us debate seriously on who the caps fits better. No matter what has, is or will happen, I am thankful that you- and those who stood behind you- gave us this chance to think, to learn and to decide.

Fortunately for us, Nigeria has not yet been torn apart as so many of my friends had predicted. Also you both are taking it in good strides. The transition process is running smoothly. All is substantially well. Alhamdullilah.

I am writing to shed further light on the relevance of our working together. I mean both of you and the rest of Nigeria. Even as we consider this, I would like us to be reminded that we are not perfect. In other words, we may miss the mark some times. Also there is this disturbing truth that no matter what happens, Nigeria will never stop complaining. This is a fact.

I cannot give you a ‘Leadership for Dummies ’course because you both will always be kilometres ahead of anything my budding mind can think up as regards leadership. But there is this one thing that I ask of you both: I need you both to understand that Nigeria has a past, a present and a future which look nothing like each other. Can you deal with this?

A few decades ago we could comfortably say that Igbos were igbos and hausas were hausas. But today making such statements will be misleading because amongst us are hybrids. Amongst us are individuals who are both hausas and ikwerres, yorubas and igbos, fulanis and opobos, tivs and itsekiris. We are hybrids, all of us. So that theory that Nigeria was a British stunt is now not only shallow but blind and is mocked by neutral and yet diverse names, faces, lives and dreams. All uniquely Nigerian, and as such whatever affects one of us, affects all of us, whether we admit this or not.

I also want to add that in as much as our lives have embraced this diversity, our laws and policies should. I say this because diversity is only natural and unstoppable.

I look forward to a reasonably productive tenure, your excellences. I do not expect that you change Nigeria, I only expect you neither leave it worse nor the same. God bless us.

Long Live President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR.

Long Live General Mohamadu Buhari (Rtd) GCFR

Long Live The Federal Republic Of Nigeria.

Dated this 22^nd day of April, 2015.

Nnanna Ikpo