An open letter to Nigeria’s political leaders in the spirit of the prophets of old
There is a danger greater than losing an election via fictitious means: losing the ability to recognise one another as partners in a common future. When political rivalry becomes communal hostility, leaders pursue personal victories while ordinary citizens inherit the consequences. This is the warning Kogi East must confront, and Nigeria’s political leadership must not ignore.
The prophets of old understood that a nation’s deepest crisis was not always the absence of power, but the corruption of its purpose. Amos condemned injustice; Isaiah challenged empty religious performance; Jeremiah warned leaders who mistook temporary security for lasting peace. Their courage offers a timeless lesson: leadership must be judged not by the applause it commands, but by the lives it improves and the injustices it dares to confront.
Kogi East must therefore ask itself an uncomfortable question: what becomes of a people when the pursuit of political advantage repeatedly takes precedence over their shared interests? Political competition is legitimate. Disagreement is inevitable. But when ambition becomes more important than cooperation, the cost is borne by citizens who need better schools, accessible roads, employment opportunities, accountable institutions and a government responsive to their concerns. These are not the possessions of one faction; they are the legitimate aspirations of the public.
To the political leaders of Kogi East, the biblical warning is unmistakable: “Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees” (Isaiah 10:1, KJV). Authority is a public trust, not a personal inheritance. No political achievement can permanently compensate for the erosion of public confidence, and no victory is sufficient if the contest leaves communities more suspicious, citizens more alienated and the next generation less hopeful. The true test of leadership is whether power creates opportunities beyond the circle of those who already possess it.
To traditional rulers, elders and cultural custodians, the responsibility is equally deep. Influence should be used to reconcile, not inflame; to encourage fairness, not legitimise exclusion. The Igala and Bassa peoples need not abandon their distinct identities to pursue common interests. Their differences can co-exist with cooperation, provided that mutual respect, equitable participation and peaceful dialogue become principles of public life rather than convenient phrases reserved for ceremonial occasions.
Nigeria’s national leadership must also recognise that unity cannot be sustained by appeals for loyalty alone. It requires institutions that protect citizens, political processes that respect their participation, and public policies that translate promises into measurable improvements. Where people feel unheard, leaders must listen. Where grievances emerge, they must be addressed fairly. Where wrongdoing is alleged, lawful processes must determine responsibility. Reconciliation without accountability is fragile; accountability without fairness can deepen distrust.
The prophet Micah offered a standard that remains relevant to every public office: “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8, KJV). That standard demands more than speeches about peace. It calls for leaders who can tolerate criticism, acknowledge mistakes, resist the temptation to turn opponents into enemies and recognise that the welfare of their communities must outlast their political careers.
Kogi East does not need every citizen to support the same party, endorse the same candidate or interpret every political question identically. It needs a stronger agreement about what must never be sacrificed: human dignity, peaceful coexistence, accountable leadership and the future of its children. Unity is not enforced silence. It is the discipline of pursuing common interests without denying legitimate differences.
This is the message of the watchman: do not allow temporary political disagreements to become permanent communal wounds. Do not permit the ambitions of individuals to define the boundaries of a people’s future. And do not leave the next generation a legacy of quarrels that could have been resolved through courage, justice and dialogue.
The question before Kogi East is not whether disagreements will arise. They will. The question is whether its people and leaders can rise above them sufficiently to build institutions, relationships and opportunities that serve everyone. The answer will depend not on declarations of unity, but on the choices made when unity becomes difficult.
A people’s future is not secured merely by who wins power, but by what they build together after the contest is over. Kogi East must choose cooperation without conformity, accountability without persecution, and peace without surrendering justice. Nigeria’s leaders must understand the same truth: history may record who held office, but ordinary people will remember whether that authority made their lives better.
The watchman has sounded the warning. The work of reconciliation belongs to the living. And the future must not be held hostage by the divisions of the present.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” — Psalm 133:1 (KJV).
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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