Dear His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR,
I write to you as a well-wisher and someone who has long admired your leadership style and your commitment to democratic values. It is precisely from that place of respect that I feel compelled to say candidly that the growing conversations around your intended return to active presidential politics are worrying.
Nigeria’s current political climate is already fragile, and the PDP platform you are being linked with appears increasingly unstable and divided. As someone with your global standing and the respect you continue to command both at home and abroad, I worry that subjecting yourself to the roughness of another electoral contest at this moment may not serve your legacy well. Even beyond questions of outcome, the process itself risks unnecessary controversy that could unintentionally diminish the statesmanlike stature you have earned. For these reasons, I sincerely hope you will consider stepping away from any such ambition and continue to serve in the higher role of an elder statesman on the continent whose influence is felt through guidance and wisdom, rather than electoral contest.
Yours faithfully,
DEJI ADEYANJU, ESQ.