Two Igbo men joined me as I stood there watching Atiku allow my Suya burn. The issue of Biafra versus the Northern Muslims made him forget how important my meat was to me.
At his back, two Muslim brothers are there, busy with their own craft: shoemaking.
Before long the two Igbo men start communicating in their mother tongue with Eze and instantly, the shoemakers behind Atiku initiates their own with Atiku and the light hearted jokes between two men suddenly transform into latent tension between two groups.
The Igbo men were not even saying anything bad nor anything concerning Atiku but they were speaking in a language the Muslims didnt understand and that was threatening enough. I could tell because I understand the Igbo language perfectly.
And then, it hit me.
Language is more important than custom, tradition or any other aspect of a culture.
Language is everything.
The bants between Atiku and Eze were thanks to the Pidgin English they chose as their medium of communication.
It is the default medium when you meet anyone in Nigeria. Especially the cities.
The moment their kinsmen came around to form a cocoon, something that shouldn't be brewing started brewing.
Thankfully I left with my Suya before the latent tension turned physical.
Then I got on a mini-bus.
Before I could settle down, the driver resumed talking to a middle-aged passenger.
He was complaining about President Buhari and how he has destroyed Nigeria
"In Igbo language."