By Ehichioya Steve Odion
Defection by politicians across party line has become pervasive in Nigeria with some elected officials switching camps even as they still hold the mandate of their former parties.
Political defection isn't an entirely bad phenomenon when executed in line with laid down rules, particularly when there is exists conflict of ideology between the party and the principles of the politician.
But what we currently experience in the Nigerian political space detract from this. The unabashed and shameless manner political actors move from one party to another as one would change his wrappers, is to say the least very worrisome.
The tendency is for every politician to be in one political party, an attitude that has weaken the opposition and thus make bad governance the consequence.
Looking at the issue critically such action by the Nigeria politicians, especially the elected ones is a total betrayal of their parties that gave them tickets and the electorate who finally gave them the mandate to assume those offices.
This kind of situation is also an attempt by politicians to create a one party system which is unhealthy to democratic practices. Because of the failure of governance and the rush by lazy political actors to have a quick bite of the cake, remaining in opposition becomes an inprofiting and intolerable venture.
With this kind of mindset, those in power always find reasons to dangle the carrot, a bait the gullible politicians often find irresistible. Why do they want everyone in one party, one may ask. It's a potent instrument to cover their inadequacies, a shield against possible criticisms of their under performance or none performance.
We have had situations where some politicians defected about twice or thrice to different political parties within a space of three months in this country. One can feel the level to which the political elites have degenerated due largely to their greed and avarice.
If Nigeria was a country that has ideological based political parties, there would have been good governance and prosperity for all.
The present defections are fueled by the absence of good governance. We're there to be a governance structure that provides for all according to their needs, a governance structure that promoted equity and social justice, a governance structure that mobilize for a national solidarity that supports productivity, the defection scourge would have been in-infectious.
I believe politicians would have found no need to leave their parties, but remain and develop their ideological nodes in readiness for future leadership and governance.
They should learn how to remain in their various political parties and pursue those things they believe will help in the development of the country and be proud of it. But the reverse is the case as none is willing to make sacrifice.
Another thing that is very disturbing to many people is the titles the politicians usually confer on themselves after purportedly winning elections. You hear His Excellency, Honourable. Ordinarily these are titles reserved for sincere people and those with high integrity or individuals who are well respected in the society due to their immense and selfless contributions to the lives of the people and society.
But today titles like His Excellency, Honourable is being abused in Nigeria. Because those titles are meant for credible, truthful and decent individuals whom the society are looking up to. Today what do we see amongst these politicians answering these reserved titles. They steal and embezzle the resources meant for citizens who suffered in the rain and sun shines to elect them.
Recently, in Edo State after the announcement of the winner of the 2024 governorship election which favored Sen. Monday Okpebholo the gate of defection was thrown open immediately.
Those who were benefiting from the government of Governor Godwin Obaseki then could not even wait for his tenure to end before moving to APC in drove like guinea fowls. Those who abused and insulted Senator Monday Okpebholo during the campaign are now praising him to high heavens because he now hold the powered to allocate state's resources.
The biggest challenge amongst many of these politicians is that apart from politics, they have got no second address for livelihood. Infact, many of them cannot live outside the government, hence they are ready to subject themselves to any situation, however humiliating.
That is why today governance in the country is in shambles as politicians have turned their offices into their personal estates. No mercy any longer for the citizens who are the real owners of the resources. It is now a family and other extended family members affairs. Accumulated wealths for their unborn children and for their future political adventures.
On many occasions, I have had the opportunity to interact with some of them and asked why politicians defect to other political parties on a regular basis. Some of the answers I got were not different from what the people perceive of them as such rooted in selfishness and greed.
I can vividly recall a case scenario where a senatorial aspirant then in Edo State who was openly humiliated while trying to secure a ticket for the Edo South Senatorial District election on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN sometimes ago.
Dissatisfied with his denial, he moved to PDP who graciously gave him a ticket for the same position in the succeeding electoral season in 2015. He was successful at the poll and served two tenures at the red chambers of the National Assembly.
He had openly vowed at a rally in 2019 that PDP would be his last bus stop and would not have any need to contest for any elective offices including the 2020 Edo guber polls where his name had featured as likely contender.
But this same politician has since left his last bus stop and moved to the ruling APC because he could not achieve his third term bid for the Senate's seat in the PDP. I leave this illustration for the readers to pass their judgement on this kind of politician.
Also in Edo State, a serving Edo State House of Assembly Speaker was widely reported by the media where he allegedly declared that he defected to the ruling party APC in order to retain his position as speaker. Although he later denied it in a press statement. In reality if he had not decamped, do you think he would still be speaker today?
Let's talk of those politicians across the country who rode on Peter Obi's back to gain power in the 2023 general elections and who have all defected to the ruling party just for their personal greed and selfish interest. In Edo State as journalists we were with the one that ran for the Edo South Senatorial District on that election day and we saw how he was feeling dejected accusing other political parties of trying to rig him out.
We encouraged him that he would win the election based on the areas we have monitored and the reports we were also getting from other places. As readers from your own observation, was this person actually popular as a politician in Edo South? I think one would have expected that all those that benefited through Peter Obi's popularity would have remained in the Labour Party based on Peter Obi's determination to salvage this country destroyed by politicians through bad leadership.
What about the only PDP House of Representatives in Edo State that defected to APC recently in Edo Central. He did not win that election in 2023 by popularity but because of the postponement of the Reps election which gave Mr. Godwin Obaseki the then governor to do everything he could to ensure his victory at the rescheduled polls. But today, he has abandoned the party that made such sacrifice for him.
The governors, national assembly members and other political office holders who are presently defecting to the ruling party are doing so to secure their reelection because of the fear of the unknown. Infact many of them are doing that because they believe they can equally use the power of incumbency to manipulate the election process on voting day.
Not untill the Nigeria judiciary genuinely perform their duties by boldly coming out to implement the law in the electoral Act which says any elected politician holding public office that defects from the party that elected such public office holder, he shall automatically lose his or her seat, this trend will continue.
However, Nigerians will again experience mass defection beginning from 2026 in preparation for the 2027 general elections where the nation will witness mass exodus of people into the ruling party. This will be followed by stiff contests for the few available elective positions by aspiring politicians often resulting in imposition of candidates in all major political parties as those not satisfied with the primaries elections will be moving across parties like those who lost their direction wandering in the wilderness.
The good news is that the electorate has begun to know and understand the tricks of politicians, therefore, they equally know how to disappoint those who failed to perform while in office, as the people no longer vote parties but individuals based on their credibility and performance.
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