WRITTEN BY DAVID OKPOKWASILI
With less than two hundred days to the 2019 general elections, political gladiators have continued the quest towards outwiting their opponents and stay on top of the game.

One of such moves is the current gale of defections from one political party to another taking place across the country, thus raising questions of the implications of that strategy to the development of the country’s democracy.

 

Correspondent, David Okpokwasili who spoke to some respondents in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area who aired their views on recent happenings in the country reports that since the inception of the present republic in the Nigerian political experience, the question of defections has not been on the fore of the polity as it has been since 2013 where defections have been recorded on a regular basis both on massive and trifling scales whether at local, state or at Federal levels.

 

Reacting to the recent defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, a former majority leader in the State House of Assembly, Engr Humphrey Nsofor stated that politics is dynamic as politicians are moving to places that will favour them in the next election emphasizing that the defections are guided by a provision in the constitution.

On his part, Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Liaison, Mr Don-Geff Odumegwu, said defections are negative when such moves are for selfish purposes and are not to the benefit of the masses and opined that the political tide in the country is an act of God geared towards the betterment of the electorate.

 

Another respondent and political stalwart in Ekwusigo Council Area, Chief Norbert Anigbogu described the happenings as normal but warned that such practice weakens the political system.

Presenting a contrary view , another political stalwart in the area, Mr Uchenna Eleodimuo held that defections do not augur well for the country’s nascent democracy, calling for stiffer measures to stop elected officials who are still serving in a position they were elected on a particular platform to move to another party.

 

The collection of views by different political actors, watchers and analysts on the causes of defections seem to be the lack of distinct ideology of the political parties, however the questions remain: What are the reasons it have become a herculean task for political parties in Nigeria to have definite, easily identifiable manifestos and ideologies since the second Republic? Do our historical political narratives have any contribution to this lack of existing ideologies? Could it be said that a passive electorate contributes to a loose party ideological system.

Answers to these questions may provide a lasting solution to this argument.

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