Politics, when reduced to nothing but a selfish hustle, loses every shred of nobility it ought to command. Unfortunately, this is the sorry state of affairs in Nigeria today, where political turncoats have perfected the art of treating political parties like disposable ladders, stepping on them to climb up, only to kick them away once they have reached the top.
Across Nigeria’s political landscape, loyalty has become a scarce commodity. Principles have been thrown to the dogs. Political parties are no longer seen as ideological platforms that embody vision, values, and service to the people. Instead, they have been reduced to mere vehicles of personal ambition, useful only until something shinier, or more profitable, comes along.
The result? A theatre of absurdity where defections are no longer newsworthy because they happen with shameless regularity. Politicians dump the parties that birthed and nurtured them at the drop of a hat, offering laughable justifications that fool no one. They mouth off about “injustice” and “consultations with stakeholders” when everyone knows the real issue is either a lost primary ticket, dwindling patronage, or naked greed for more power.
Just a few days ago, members of the political class affiliated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State shamelessly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with reckless abandon, showing no regard for the party that once made them relevant.
Without any iota of exaggeration, it is not out of place to opine in this context that today’s kingmaker becomes tomorrow’s castaway if the political arithmetic no longer adds up in his favour. Yesterday’s “lifelong commitment” to a political party evaporates overnight once the promise of a fatter appointment or a juicier contract beckons from another platform.
This culture of betrayal has had devastating effects on governance and democracy itself. Politics should ideally be about ideas, about contesting visions for the society and offering the electorate a clear choice. Instead, Delta’s politicians have collapsed politics into a game of musical chairs, where the only thing that matters is where one is sitting when the music stops.
Take a hard look at the political actors in Delta today. Many of the so-called “big names” have swapped parties so many times that they no longer represent anything but themselves. They lack any ideological commitment. They are not guided by the interest of the people. Their only compass is personal gain.
Even worse, some of them have the gall to expect, and often demand, that their followers must blindly move with them each time they jump ship, as if loyalty to individuals has now replaced loyalty to ideas and causes. They expect the people to play the fool, to pretend that a defection today cancels out everything they proclaimed yesterday. And, sadly, many times the people oblige them.
It is a vicious cycle that deepens the poverty of leadership and governance. Political turncoats rarely deliver on any real mandate because they are too busy scheming for their next political meal ticket. They do not build institutions; they build only themselves.
A classic example can be seen in the behavior of politicians who, after benefiting immensely from a party’s structure, securing elective offices, appointments, and influence, suddenly discover a litany of “grievances” only when their ambitions are threatened. Without shame, they move to the next available platform, pretending to have found new ideological love. But deep down, it is the same old hustling spirit at work.
If these defections were at least driven by principle, the story would be different. If a politician left a party because it abandoned its manifesto, betrayed the people, or became complicit in tyranny, there could be an honorable argument. But no, the defections are almost always driven by crude, primitive, self-serving calculations.
Delta’s political turncoats are not alone, of course. The disease is national. But the shamelessness with which it is practiced here should alarm anyone who still hopes for meaningful democracy in Nigeria. It has entrenched a cynical culture where young people see politics as a dirty game, where morality is mocked, and where service to the people is the last thing on any politician’s mind.
One particularly distasteful dimension of this culture is that political betrayal is now rewarded, not punished. Politicians who defect are immediately welcomed with fanfare by their new hosts, no questions asked. They are given “waivers” to contest elections, often at the expense of loyal, long-standing members. In other words, loyalty is punished, and betrayal is rewarded, a perverse incentive system that only breeds more treachery.
How then can the people trust their leaders? How can political parties build any serious structure for the future when their ranks are filled with fair-weather friends? How can democracy grow when political commitment is treated as a market commodity, to be bought and sold to the highest bidder?
The ordinary citizens of Nigeria must realize that the real victims of this political prostitution are not the parties themselves, but the people. Each time a politician defects for personal gain, it erodes the stability and coherence of the political system. It breeds confusion, weakens accountability, and leaves the electorate more disillusioned.
It is time to call things by their names. A man who uses a party like a ladder and kicks it away is not a leader; he is a mercenary. He is not a democrat; he is a trader in power. Nigeria deserves better than a revolving door of self-serving politicians whose only loyalty is to their stomachs.
Going forward, political parties themselves must take some blame and must begin to enforce stricter internal discipline. There must be serious consequences for betrayal. Also, voters must become less tolerant of political harlotry. A candidate’s history of defections should be an automatic red flag for anyone who still believes politics should serve the common good.
The future of Nigeria, depends on building a political culture where loyalty, principle, and service are valued above quick personal gains. Until that happens, the disgraceful practice of using and abandoning political parties like disposable ladders will continue, and the people will continue to pay the price.
Nigerian politica must rise above this shameful culture. It is not just about winning elections; it is about building a society where trust, loyalty, and commitment to the public good mean something again.
Enough of the turncoat politics. Enough of the shameless betrayals. Nigeria deserves better.
