Mass defections and democracy

the Nigerian political landscape has been experiencing a massive shift of party loyalty by its members to the victorious All Progressives Congress (APC). From the Southwest to the North, South-South to the South-East, the gales of defection have been unrelenting.  Well known political figures and office holders elected on the platform of the PDP have […]

the Nigerian political landscape has been experiencing a massive shift of party loyalty by its members to the victorious All Progressives Congress (APC). From the Southwest to the North, South-South to the South-East, the gales of defection have been unrelenting.  Well known political figures and office holders elected on the platform of the PDP have been leading their supporters to cross party lines to the APC.
The unfamiliarity of being outside the corridors of power may be a huge factor. This would be the first time since independence that the opposition would displace the incumbent in a free and fair election.  But the development exposes a lack of principles, even scruples, on the part of those now jumping the PDP ship. Parties in democracies are not created to be at the helm of government affairs indefinitely; that is why the electoral cycle provides the people with choices at elections.
A strong democracy is one that allows the exercise of this free choice, without let or hindrance, and in which successful parties succeed each other in the electoral cycle determined by the voter.
The undeniable victory of the APC should not mean a depopulation of the rank of the PDP, which must now rebuild itself from its position as the new opposition party and a credible alternative government in waiting should the electorate so desire.
A former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, noted that if the trend continued unchecked, it could lead Nigeria into a one-party state; Professor Umaru Pate of the University of Maiduguri said that the defections could mark the end of viable opposition politics in Nigeria.
Fears that the country may be heading towards a one-party state are over-stated. Similar fears were expressed in the heydays of the PDP, making its leadership boast of its invincibility; one official famously said the ‘largest political party in Africa’ would rule for 60 years.  The formation of the APC and its strong showing in the elections has proved otherwise, the PDP now finds itself out of power, at least at the centre.  .
Some of the defections may be put down to the absence of articulated political ideology and principles on the part of the parties to which members are asked to subscribe. The objectives that seem to attract people to Nigerian are the prospects of acquiring political office and the power, fame and wealth that come with it. Service to people and fatherland is a constant but meaningless slogan.
Freedom of association that the Constitution guarantees applies also to the freedom to belong to a political party. Thus, the APC leadership may find itself flummoxed by the deluge of new entrants into its fold, and it has some of its top officials worried. Some have declared that although the ex-PDP members were welcome to the APC, they would not be considered in the allocation of offices in the incoming administration.
A more appropriate response to the situation would be for the political parties to seize the opportunity it has provided to cultivate quality leadership succession programmes by codifying principles and positions on issues that are clearly identifiable to the electorates. These would help the voters make informed choices beyond the attractions of catchphrases.
 While people have right to make their political choices, including to seek to join a political party, it is not fitting for politicians to jump ship from a ruling party on account of it losing at elections. The prospects of the PDP rebuilding itself and returning power at sometime in the future must not be discounted. But fair-weather party memberships do not make for strong democracy.   
The National Chairman of the APC Chief John Odigie-Oyegun was right when he said that the trend of mass defection was not good for the healthy growth of Nigeria’s democracy.  The country needs a strong opposition to sustain the gains of the last elections.