Some prominent politicians have been moving from the opposition political parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The gale of defections has brought to the fore, the character of the Nigerian politician. What are the implications of such movement on the Nigeria political system? Our correspondent finds out.

At the last count, no fewer than six notable politicians have joined the APC in less than three months. On September 22, a former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, defected from the PDP to the APC. Dariye, representing Plateau Central Senatorial District, announced his defection in a letter read by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Dariye, a second timer at the senate, said the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level was his reason for defection.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described his defection as a welcome development. Less than three months later, Chief Yele Omogunwa, another PDP Senator who represents Ondo South Senatorial District of Ondo State, on Thursday, November 24, confirmed his defection to the APC. Sen. Omogunwa confirmed his defection in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure two days before the Ondo State governorship election. The announcement of Omogunwa’s defection by the Senate President on November 30 caused an uproar on the floor as senators engaged in a war of words. The PDP senators staged a walkout over his defection. The senator based his decision to defect on the division in the PDP. But the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, raised a point of order, asking Saraki to declare Omogunwa’s seat vacant because according to him, there is no division in the PDP.

On November 16, a former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, also announced his decision to defect to the governing APC from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA).

Kalu said at a brief event at the APC national secretariat in Abuja that he joined to rebrand the party in line with the decision of his mother and other family members.

On Monday, a former lawmaker representing Kokona/Keffi/Karu Federal Constituency in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Ahmed Wadada, also dumped the PDP for the APC.

Wadada, who served two terms on the platform of the PDP from 2003 to 2011, was received by the APC chairman of his Tudun Kofa ward, Tanko Sodangi, in Keffi town of Keffi local government area.

Wadada said he decided to join the APC as a result of the disunity in his former party and the concern he had for his people.

Penultimate Tuesday, a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Ima Niboro, also joined the APC. Niboro, a former Senior Special Assistant on Media to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was ushered into the APC at his residence in Udu Local Government Area of Delta. Niboro, a former PDP member, said his joining the APC was meant to align Delta with the government at the national level and to galvanise development.

On November 9, the Deputy Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Godiya Akwashiki, left the PDP for the APC. The Speaker, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, who read Akwashiki’s defection letter during plenary session in Lafia, congratulated Akwashiki (PDP-Nassarawa Eggon West) for taking the decision. Akwashiki identified the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level as the major reason for his defection to the APC..

Similarly, the Deputy Speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, James Okefe, defected to the APC on November 22 after many months of speculation.

In the letter which was read by the Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, Okefe said he left the PDP because of the crisis rocking it at the center.

Last weekend, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State met APC bigwigs at a meeting which started during the thanksgiving ceremony organised by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, in Calabar.

A former senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, a former minister of defence and presidential aspirant, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, who graced the occasion, were said to have convinced Ayade to leave the PDP for the APC.

Speculations have been rife over Ayade’s secret ambition to cross over to the APC, having hobnobbed with key national leaders of the party a few months after he was sworn in.

But in a swift reaction, Ayade’s media aide dismissed the insinuation that the governor was planning to move from the PDP.

Christian Ita, the chief press secretary to Ayade, said the governor was just playing the role of a good host to the array of political, military and business leaders that thronged Calabar to honour a prominent son of the state.

Penultimate Wednesday, Governor Ayodele Fayose had, in Ikere Ekiti, indicated that he might use another political platform to pursue his succession battle in the 2018 governorship poll in the state.

But following the reactions generated by his assertions, the governor dismissed the defection report as untrue, saying he won’t dump the PDP for the APC or any other party.

Though some of the decampees cited the division in the PDP as the reason for their decision to defect to the APC, a former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, attributed the recent massive defection from the PDP to the APC to the fear of possible arrests by agents of the federal government.

Lamido, who spoke in his home in Bamaina, said anyone who wanted to enjoy the air of freedom under the present administration must be ready to pitch his tent with the ruling party.

However, Dr Mutiullah Olasupo, a senior lecturer, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja, in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Saturday, identified the quest for relevance and benefit from certain conceived interests as the major reasons for the defections.

Dr Olasupo said the defections fragmented and weakened the opposition parties and promoted money-politics, which gives room for political nomadic movements and political parties without ideology to thrive and develop.

He said, “It should be noted that since 1999, when the current democratic dispensation began, Nigeria has witnessed a plethora of defections by politicians. The defection rate is widely believed to be more than any other time in the nation’s political history. Party defection is not a strange phenomenon in Nigeria, it characterized previous republics, though at a minimal and reasonable level.

“Today, reasons for this are not far-fetched as supposed loyal party activists do this with reckless abandon as if this is a new virtue for relevance in party politics.”

Dr Olasupo added, “The question now is why do politician change party? It is simple. Basically, politicians change political parties to be better positioned to benefit from certain conceived interests. Unfortunately, these interests are more personalized and since most political parties in Nigeria today are formed without some clear ideological divide, every defecting politician or groups of politicians are able to fit into the new welcoming party.

“Thus, it is all about interest as political parties in Nigeria are formed by amalgamations of power fisted and out of favour individuals who wish to contest for elective positions and win power at all costs. Therefore, the current wave of change of political parties or party defections is geared towards certain imagined or real outcome.

“But party defection has insidious implications on the political development of Nigeria. One of the greatest fears of the current defection from other parties to the APC is that it is leading to a further fragmentation of opposition parties from where politicians have defected. It also creates chances for the emergence of new political parties that lack strength and focus on the political scene.

“As a result, this situation of defection leads to mushrooming of political parties and reinforces the weakness of opposition parties. This does not augur well for the development of party politics because it promotes money-politics, which eventually give room for political nomadicism and political parties without ideology to thrive and develop.”

Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/politics/top-politicians-in-hot-race-to-apc/176353.html#dllJUOjQZGhcHLyp.99

their problem

when people sing this 'APC is saint' song, I just laugh them in the language of the Bujumbura people.

we all know that APC is PDP and PDP is APC. i don't do politics but i only passively support people based on my moral convictions.

Spacebooked just to Read comments

Don't mind.
It will take us 100 years to have
a political party with ideology and members.


So let defection continue

All excuses is invalid

All what I know is that carpet crossing is done by Nigerian politicians in order for them to turn saints

If you're a sinner in PDP or any other political party, just port to apc and your sins will be washed away

political prostitution.

Well all I know is that PDP is coming back STRONGER...

Ashies

.All these defection brings out the true colors of our politicians. The fact that this men still hv followers take my mind back to that quote which state that "a leader is a reflection of the people he leads".

All these politicians are thieves n betrayals whose political ambitions transcends the needs of the populace. All these run around just because they are trying to run away from being probe of their corrupt practices n still maintain their political relevance, a kind of killing two birds with a single stone; an impossible reality


This further reveals President Buharis weaknesses in his fight against corruption. That would have been his only achievement as a president for at least what we have see so far but this men whom he was suppose to fight are forming party members with the center. They will be responsible for his shortcomings and at the end of d day seize from him the sit of power.

If any man be in APC old things have passed away, all your loots are pardoned and you can start afresh with the new party.


I said it before and I maintain my stand that the problem in Nigeria is not about political parties but about the mean, wicked and corrupt politicians.

Like i said


Apc is the biggest scam of all time


Pdp, power to APC.

And there supporters will be shouting up and dow...no politician cares aboutyou...they are all the same

a former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, attributed the recent massive defection from the PDP to the APC to the fear of possible arrests by agents of the federal government.

Dat's the only reason!

prospero5:
when people shout APC is saintly I just laugh them in the language of the Bujumbura people.

we all know that APC is PDP and PDP is APC.

it's not a PDP or APC matter, it's a Nigerian matter! We Nigerians collectively have no morals, principles or character and the result is there for all to see.

Ok

It will be bad if Nigeria become a one party Nation

Quest for power and relevance..... True
Fear of the unknown from PMB..... True
No permanent Friend or Foe......... True

Naija Politiking is a funny one... I duff

Na so

.......wey our robot.....sarrki....??

Food don ready.....

temitemi1:
Well all I know is that PDP is coming back STRONGER...

Wake up, day don break. PDP is dead

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prospero5:
when people sing this 'APC is saint' song, I just laugh them in the language of the Bujum*bura people.

we all know that APC is PDP and PDP is APC. i don't do politics but i only passively support people based on my moral convictions.

stop calling me