Good Friday is a day of great significance in the Christian religion. From the earliest times, Christians have always commemorated the suffering and death of Jesus of Nazareth on this day. They believe that in the suffering and death of Jesus, God made a definitive offer of healing to a world wounded by selfishness and wickedness. But the lessons of Good Friday are not just for Christians.

Nigerians of all religious persuasions and ethnic affiliations can benefit from such lessons. A lesson can be learnt by examining the logic of cruelty underlying the death of Jesus. That logic may not be an eternal logic, but it remains till today, and it is objectified in Nigeria. It is the cruel logic of the suffering and death of the innocent, a logic that is evident in the untold hardships of millions of Nigerians.

Nigeria is a land where the innocent suffer because her God-given resources are appropriated, monopolised and mismanaged by just a few. Nigeria is a land where millions of innocent people suffer as internally displaced persons in the country of their birth, where just a few decide to go to war because of an election. Nigeria is a land whose citizens are abducted for ransom while her law-enforcement agencies are either unwilling or incapable of arresting the abductors. Nigeria is a land where nothing works for the common citizen, except for those in and around the corridors of power. Jesus is continually crucified in the millions of innocent victims of injustice and deprivation in our country, victims of conspiracies and unholy alliances of the powerful in a land that ought to have no business with poverty.

The narrative of Good Friday tells us that the suffering and death of Jesus resulted from the head-on-collision between, on the one hand, his obedience to God and his solidarity with the people, and on the other hand, the unholy alliance of the powerful, the religious leaders of Israel and the Roman authorities governing the land. His death sentence was passed by the leaders of his homeland and confirmed by Pilate, a Roman Governor. It is like our leaders, after entering an unholy alliance, have passed, and confirmed a death sentence on helpless Nigerians.

The lesson of Good Friday challenges the logic of power that would make persons in public office speak and act in a manner that wounds the fragile unity of this land of diverse ethnic and religious groups. At a time when Nigeria suffers from an acute leadership deficit, a time when leaders make those they lead suffer, the narrative of Good Friday tells us that Jesus as leader suffered in the hands of those he led and for the sake of those he led. For years, we have witnessed, and we continue to witness, misuse of power in our land. Nigeria is a graphic example of a land where power and authority are used, not in the interest of the people, but in the narrow interest of leaders. Such misuse of power disables citizens to the point of despair. It always gets to its summit in every election season in Nigeria.

Irrespective of our political affiliation, we must admit the truth that the conduct and outcome of our most recent elections do not call for celebration, but for sober reflection. Our recent experience has shown clearly that while our land is in dire need of those who would aspire to lead by serving and serve by leading, she has been mutilated by divide and rule tactics designed and deployed simply to win votes. Leaders who truly serve are instruments of healing. Leaders who do not serve do not heal. Instead, they inflict deep wounds on the people they are supposed to serve. Good leaders do not manipulate the electoral process; they do not send their agents to intimidate voters on election day; they do not give orders to their militia to go snatch ballot boxes; they respect divergent opinions and choices on election day; they do not resort to vote buying.

Our land, though immensely blessed, is inhabited by citizens who have been wounded, crucified, and divided for years by bad leadership. Bad leadership has consistently inflicted on Nigeria suffering and pain beyond description. Bad leadership has terribly disfigured Nigeria. The rhetoric and conduct of most Nigerian leaders do not portray them as those who wish to serve but as those who wish to dominate, defraud and oppress.

The death of Jesus teaches us that those who aspire to lead must not wound those they aspire to lead. Rather, they must be prepared to bear the wounds of, and risk their very lives for, those they lead. Proverbs Chapter 29 verse 2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan!” Good Friday is above all else about good, and sacrificial leadership. Only such leadership can bring about justice, harmony, and peace in Nigeria.