- Prince Ayodele Jegede writes from Lagos
I align with the assertion that recent waves of political defections in Nigeria are less about responsibility and more about self-preservation. While such movements may provide short-term electoral advantage, particularly to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as it eyes the 2027 general elections, however, the long-term implications are potentially disastrous. They signal a deepening crisis in party ideology and institutional coherence, which poses a fundamental threat to Nigeria’s democratic development.
The trajectory of party politics in Nigeria has been marked by ideological decline. From the robust ideological foundations of the First and Second Republics, we witnessed a descent into personality-driven politics during the Abacha era, most infamously represented by the so-called “five fingers of a leprous hand.” The return to democracy in 1999 was expected to re-anchor party politics in ideology and institutional discipline. Unfortunately, what emerged was a pattern of political opportunism, where parties lacked a coherent ideological compass.
This absence of ideology remains a significant concern. Political parties in Nigeria today function largely as electoral platforms rather than as institutions rooted in defined philosophical or developmental principles. Candidates are often left to chart their own course based on personal interpretation of governance, resulting in inconsistencies, policy reversals, and weak party cohesion. It is this ideological fluidity that facilitates the rampant and opportunistic defections observed across party lines.
The prevailing culture of “carpet crossing” has further entrenched non-ideological politics in Nigeria, creating coalitions of convenience rather than purpose. These alliances, composed of disparate political actors with conflicting values and interests, are united only by the pursuit of power and its associated privileges. This trend severely undermines the democratic process and stifles the emergence of a stable political culture.
The APC, originally envisioned as a progressive coalition in 2013, quickly began to deviate from its ideological path within just two years of its formation. Today, it appears increasingly rudderless, echoing the fate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which, despite its promising origins in the G34 movement of 1998, soon succumbed to internal contradictions and loss of direction.
The recent influx of defectors into the APC, many of whom lack any history of progressive engagement are for sure going to further compromise the party’s ideological trajectory. If this trend continues, the APC risks post-presidency disintegration similar to that experienced by the PDP. More critically, without a coherent party ideology to serve as a policy safeguard, the developmental gains achieved by any administration can be easily reversed. A future administration, driven by different or even regressive impulses, could dismantle key reforms through executive fiat while the legislature remains either complicit or impotent.
This ideological vacuum also exacerbates governance discontinuity, particularly at the sub-national level. Successive administrations often abandon viable policies and programmes initiated by their predecessors, leading to policy disjointedness and developmental stagnation. The absence of continuity and institutional memory is a major impediment to Nigeria’s national development.
To arrest this decline, a deliberate reorientation is necessary. Progressive elements within the political space, if they still exist, must take responsibility for ideological renewal. This requires the institutionalisation of party training schools, seminars, and mentorship programmes aimed at educating the younger generation of politicians on political philosophy, governance ethics, and national development strategies.
Furthermore, Nigeria’s formal education system must integrate civic education with an emphasis on political ideology, ethics, and nation-building. From primary to secondary levels, the curriculum should cultivate a culture of political consciousness, integrity, and patriotic commitment. Moral and ethical instruction must also be revitalised. The teaching of moral and integrity cannot be left solely to families, many of which are no longer equipped to provide such foundational values.
In conclusion, the future of Nigeria’s democracy depends not merely on the holding of elections but on the evolution of political parties into ideologically coherent and institutionally robust entities. Only then can governance become truly developmental, consistent, and accountable.