A Nigerian man living in the United Kingdom has shared his experience of staying silent during a political discussion with his white colleagues at work. The man, identified on X as @enyinwa_, explained that he intentionally withheld his perspective despite having valuable points to contribute.
In his post, he described the internal conflict he felt during the encounter. He noted that his colleagues seemed open to his input, but he chose not to speak. According to him, he feared that the topic of Nigeria's 'terrible political state' would eventually be brought up in the conversation.
His X post read: 'Something happened at work today that left me feeling so conflicted. My colleagues (all Oyibo) were discussing UK politics. I knew they wanted my opinion and I had some brilliant points to make but I chose to remain silent. I don't know if it was the fear of someone bringing up the terrible political state Nigeria to my face, or just the anxiety of sounding like an entitled immigrant. I know I'm not alone in this.'
Reactions to the Post
Legit.ng compiled some reactions to the man's post. @doris8887 said: 'Thank God you just respected yourself. Where you wan start to dey defend this country.' @Mailer_1 asked: 'So Nigeria government (politics) has decided to limit us home and abroad?' @chi_quiero commented: 'Absolutely not. Most times, e dey tire me too to put mouth not when the country I come from is in ruins.'
The post resonated with many Nigerians abroad who shared similar experiences of feeling reluctant to engage in political discussions due to concerns about being defensive or judged based on Nigeria's political situation.
