There is an alarming rise in organised political defections in Nigeria .
Although she is being
hyped as the giant of Africa, the democracy in Nigeria
is not practised like in countries such as Ghana ,
Sierra Leone , Botswana , Tanzania ,
Liberia , Senegal and Zambia with stable democracies. Nigeria ’s version is a guided
democracy and a democracy for the few.
*Saraki |
What are the reasons
for the surge in defections? Turncoats complain about the absence of internal
democracy in their parties and of political witch-hunt by political gladiators.
Do you agree with the
beliefs of these defectors?
Particularly since no
mention is made about the developmental interests of Nigeria as reasons for changing
sides.
Isn’t it weird to see
politicians castigate a political party at sunset only to defect to same party
at sunrise?
Winston Churchill was
once a Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) but he died as a Conservative party man.
He never returned to
his former party Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems).
We heard that Ronald
Reagan toyed with being a Democratic Party member for a brief period but died
holding on to the beliefs of the Republican Party.
Defecting once in a
life time was enough for him.
I like the style of
some of these people in other climes, after all dialogue is thoughts which are
not absolute and final and one cannot be one-hundred-per cent idealistic all of
the time, smart politicians whilst holding on to their directorial beliefs also
appreciate differing views and perspectives and sometimes must bow to superior
arguments.
But the bending down to superior arguments must not make one throw
away all of his values.
That is the problem
with politicians in Nigeria .
The end must justify the means.
The wellbeing of a minority
matter more than the interests of a starving majority.
Many people I have
conversed with have strong feelings about this and they do not see any
alternative forms of action.
Some have chosen not
to discuss political matters because they believe nothing will ever change in Nigeria .
Others have confessed
to taking their entire family-members out if the country during electioneering
periods, only to return after elections due to the capriciousness of politics
in Nigeria .
What do you see as the
goals of these political-Quislings? Could it be for securities, relevance?
Should politics be a matter of life and death?
In the first republic,
the NCNC party of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe criticised The Action Group party of Chief
Obafemi Awolowo for coaxing its members on the floor of the Western House of
Parliament to join the latter even though it (NCNC) was poised to control the
house and form a government.
Historians say that
the claim by the NCNC is not true as it (NCNC) only won Lagos but not the
entire old Western region and that the Action Group only wooed candidates who
won elections to represent town unions and cultural groups so as to have a
majority because the party structures then unlike now was not firmly
established.
And besides the Action
Group was an unknown party at the time and entered local election for the first
time.
They were even
independent candidates who won election to parliament on the strength of their
character.
The essence of coalition
to form governments as is done in Israel
from the 1960s up until now is different from the renunciation of party
principles, beliefs for other parties in Nigeria .
Without a doubt,
political figures achieve their goals easily in Nigeria .
The larger populations
are poorly educated in the mind to demand for accountability and they lack the
financial and emotional stamina to pour out on the street to protest against
drolleries hindering growth and development.
You cannot blame them;
people who are financially disempowered operate from a position of weakness.
Do you know the agenda
of defectors and do defections have any positive impact on government?
Aspirations are good but not ambitions without a winning game plan.
It is clear for all to
see that their objectives are without a true North, a captain of a ship misses
his way without a true North.
The political
defectors easily fall prey to the urgent instead of the important. And the
urgent is to massage egos and be relevant.
Who you know in Nigeria ’s political
scene is more important than “what you do,” than of adding value.
These ambiguities
create a system of “survival of the fittest” as seen every day with ill-bred
power plays, territory scuffles, and trickeries that hinder progress.
Leadership is contextual,
and politics is competitive but these lots fear opposition and so cannot
compete.
They want to be in the
winning teams always. They probably have never heard of the word Bathos.
All very good writers
suffer from writer’s block, so why should politicians fear defeat.
The journey and not
the destination should be the primary focus of the politician.
As they party in the
hall of shame, bold risks aren’t taken to help end poverty, to build
institutions, infrastructure, and human capacity in fragile states, like Nigeria as
preached again and again by the World Bank Group.
Nigerians do not know
which party is Right and Left Wing – or what the terms mean?
Which party is for the
citizens and aspires to support those who cannot support themselves, the party
of dreamers that believe in equality to redeploy opportunities and wealth?
Where is the party
that makes laws that protect women, children, the disabled community and
against all forms of discrimination.
Show us one party that
believes not only in economic freedom but promotes it with clear cut policies.
Should we then applaud adults who love to dance like teenagers?
But for the oil in the
Niger Delta, some of these defectors wouldn’t be in politics. Nigeria ’s type
of democracy doesn’t require deep-thinkers to solve problems.
Play hard as much as
they like and the IOCs will generate all of the money so the politicians can
share.
After which they dig
wells for water in communities’ and construct roads and document it for
Nigerians to see, all of these in the 21st century.
The drudgery of office
is a hard sell but the directing of policies from an Olympian height is an easy
sell.
Why do Nigerian
politicians love to eat first even when it is an age long aphorism that,
“leaders eat last?”
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