By Shamsu Gujungu
In Nigeria’s politics, defections have become a disturbing trend—a manifestation of political opportunism rather than a commitment to public service. Political gladiators, driven by selfish interests, frequently jump from one party to another, leaving behind a trail of broken promises and unfulfilled ideologies. This constant shifting not only undermines the integrity of our political system but also robs the electorate of genuine leadership. As these politicians chase power and personal gain, they have turned our democracy into a marketplace where loyalty is bought and sold, and the will of the people is sacrificed for individual ambitions.
The recent defections by the entire structure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta state, the governor of the state, and the party’s former vice presidential candidate as well as the impending defections of many opposition state governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) triggered a lot of reactions.
For today, the insulting one to start with is: the same group of the former governor of Kaduna state Nasir El-Rufai’s loyalists who defended President Muhammadu Buhari’s failures for over eight years—insulting everyone who criticised them—are part of those who brought President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to power. Now, they are turning around to tell us they want to remove Tinubu, purely for one reason: selfish interest!
If despite all odds, El-Rufai and his co-travellers had been appointed as ministers, they would not be complaining. They would have defended Tinubu to the core—just like Matawalle of Zamfara state—and insulted anyone who dared oppose him.
Why must this vengeance be driven by selfish interest and not by a genuine desire for public service?
If, by chance, these former Buhari loyalists succeed in defeating Tinubu, we would simply be witnessing another replica of Buhari’s failed government. Nothing new.
Political parties themselves are not entirely the problem. In fact, we don’t really have internal democracy; the parties are weak, mere vehicles with no ideological backbone. If the parties were truly strong, reckless defections would not occur so easily.
The problem is not just APC; it’s the people within it. It’s not just PDP; it’s those who occupy it.
From 2015 to date, all we have witnessed is cross-carpeting and realignments—PDP members moving to APC, APC members moving to PDP—motivated solely by selfish interest!
However, these defections to APC could be turned into something productive if properly harnessed.
If the good people within APC stand firm, remove the bad eggs, and do what is right—a true fight for righteousness from within—then it is possible to deepen our democracy. But this will not happen by simply dancing to the tune of the president every time; the parties themselves must be strong!
If there is tyranny, the fight against it can be waged from within.
Just as the PDP was 1999–2015 an almost invincible empire, APC today is also an empire—you cannot easily defeat it from the outside. It will either crumble or correct itself through internal implosion, just as PDP did.
Decampees and stayers alike must work to strengthen internal democracy within their parties. Strong parties, guided by principles, will stop the incessant cross-carpeting. Unless we have parties that are stronger than individual candidates, progress will be impossible.
A close example was the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) under Aminu Kano, which had the strength to suspend its only two sitting governors—Abubakar Rimi of Kano state and Balarabe Musa of Kaduna state—for violating party principles.
If our parties were truly strong, if Tinubu was indeed the problem, the party itself could easily bring forth a another candidate without destroying itself.
As Theodore Roosevelt put it: “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.”
These morally labile politicians are merely toying with people’s emotions. They will deceive you in one party, then move to another and blame that party for your misfortunes. Let us not be swayed by emotions or vengeance into repeating past mistakes by following the same band of politicians driven by selfish interests.
Follow these politicians at your own risk.
Shamsu Gujungu is a Public Policy Analyst.
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