21022018 - APC CRISIS LATEST :Governor demolishes senator's house

40—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018
“Unlike other parts of the
world where politicians defect
for ideological reasons,
politicians in Nigeria defects
mostly for selfish end. All they
are concerned with is simply
associating with those with
whom their personal political
objective stand a better chance
of being achieved”.
OVER the course of centuries
dating back to Athens 507
BC, political and philosophical
thinkers have analyzed the
relationship between the
governed and the government.
It is generally agreed that the
individual has expressly or tacitly
given up his freedom to the
government in return for the
protection of that government. As
a result the individual or citizens
are expected to live harmoniously
and in accordance with the laws
of the land while the government
provides security of life and
property. This theory pervades all
modern societies with varying
degrees of success. A major way
in which this contract is
continually renewed is through
elections in which Politicians seek
the votes of the electorate with the
promise of improvements in the
standard of life. In Nigeria
Political Parties serve as a Platform
upon which the relationship
between the ordinary citizens and
the government is nurtured.
However, Nigerian politicians
have for several years failed to
show any appreciation for the fact
Nigeria political cross carpeting:
Danger to democracy
that in exchange for their votes,
the people require the service of
the government. What is often of
paramount importance to most
politicians in Nigeria is how they
will attain political office, no
matter the means by which they
get it. This desire for power has
manifested itself in various forms,
the most common being what is
known in Nigeria as
“Crosscaperting” or “Crosscarpeting”.
To be certain, the word “Crosscarpeting”
does not exist in the
English language. It has
however been coined in Nigeria
to describe a common
phenomenon by which politicians
almost unashamedly, switch
political allegiance just to achieve
their own personal political goals.
In an article titled: “Cross
Carpeting in Nigerian Politics:
Some Legal and Moral Issues
Generated”, O. Opadere and J.
Agbana stated the first known
case of cross carpeting in Nigeria
as follows:
Celebrated cross carpeting
“In 1951 the first celebrated cross
carpeting episode occurred in
Nigeria; which consequently
robbed Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe the
chance to lead the government’s
business of Western Nigeria. This
happens to be the most celebrated
cross carpet episode in Nigeria.
Yoruba members of the National
Council for Nigerian and the
Cameroon
(NCNC) were
lobbied to cross
over to the Action
Group (AG) to
stop Dr. Nnamdi
Azikiwe, an Igbo
man, from
becoming the
premier of
Western Region.
This heralded the
massive cross
over to the AG.
As the leader of
the NCNC,
Azikiwe was to
be the Premier of
Western Nigeria
following the
elections of 1951
with Chief
O b a f e m i
Awolowo, a
Yoruba man and
the leader of
Action Group, as
the leader of the
opposition in the
Regional House
of Assembly. The
NCNC won 42
seats out of 80,
but within 24
hours 20 of them
had cross
carpeted to AG.”
Over the years,
this development
gained much
traction such that
most Nigerians
are now familiar
now with
defections by
Politicians from
one political party
to the other.
While it is not
unique to
Nigeria, the
surprising thing
however is that unlike other parts
of the world where Politicians
defect for ideological reasons,
Politicians in Nigeria defect
mostly for selfish ends in a bid to
contest elections. Therefore a
Politician who is unable to get the
ticket of his Party for a particular
election will immediately defect
to another opposing party even if
he had already been elected to
public office on the platform of his
original party.In such situations
it would even not matter if ,as it is
in most cases, the manifesto of his
new party is diametrically
opposed to that of his former
party. However I find it rather
strange that a political office
holder who has attained public
office through the votes of the
electorate on the strength of the
manifesto of its party will defect
to another party with a totally
different manifesto and yet carry
on as if there is nothing
dishonourable about his conduct.
I believe that honour should play
an important role in any human
endeavour and particularly in
politics. On the contrary, what has
been experienced is an upsurge
in defections all with a view to
securing tickets to contest
elections. In some instances,
politicians have defected from
their political parties to another
What is often of
paramount
importance to
most politicians
in Nigeria is how
they will attain
political office, no
matter the means
by which they get
it
party only to leave that other party
for yet other parties before
eventually returning ‘home’ to
their original political party.
In the case of AG Federation v.
Abubakar (2007) 10 NWLR (Pt.
1041) 1 which I was privileged to
argue before the Supreme Court
of Nigeria, the Court, while
stating the absence of a a clear
constitution provision permitting
the removal of the then sitting Vice
President on account of his
defection from the ruling party on
whose platform he sought an
election, to the opposition,
nevertheless deprecated his
conduct and stated as follows:
“The action cannot be justified
by the fact that he had been
suspended or expelled from the
ruling political party under which
he was jointly elected with the
President or that he exercise his
fundamental right of association
guaranteed by the Constitution.
What is required of him is to first
resign and even after resigning
from that office he would be
precluded from dissociating
himself from the collective
responsibility for decisions taken
by the Cabinet while he was in
office.”
My decision to focus on this
issue is not without reason. With
less than a year to the next general
elections Politicians are already
busy reappraising alliances and
pursuing new ones all in a bid to
be strategically placed to win the
votes of the electorate. None of
the meetings currently being held
focus on ideological parameters.
All that people appear to be
concerned with is simply
associating with those with whom
their personal political objectives
stand a better chance of being
achieved. Soon in virtually all
states of the Federation Campaign
Posters will become common
sights. However despite the
diverse method these Politicians
have chosen to sell themselves,
what remains common are the
promises being made to
Nigerians. Yet these same
promises were made in the run
up to the last general elections. If
left unchecked, the current spate
of defections will spell doom for
democracy in this country. It will
continue to foster the notion that
the interests of the citizens have
no role to play in the
determination by politicians of the
question whether they should
remain on the political platform
on which they sought the votes
of the electorate. It will continue
to foster the notion that attainment
of political office rather than being
the means to an end, is the end
in itself. Winning political office
will continue to be a do or die
affair.
Patriotic ideals and conduct
Yet governance anywhere in the
world is supposed to be about the
people. The Nigerian National
Anthem is one that calls on all
Nigerians to rise to the call of the
Nation and act only in its best
interests. By the words of the
anthem, patriotism is demanded
of every Nigerian. However a
country that demands patriotisms
from its citizens must continually
be seen to be working in their best
interests. The government of the
country must always be seen to
seek ways of making the lives of
the citizens better and not
otherwise. One can hardly expect
patriotic ideals and conduct from
a citizen who feels let down by
his country and its leaders. This
is why politicians must be made
to realize the sacredness of
electoral promises they make prior
to election and the oath they take
upon assumption of office.
Vigilance must be the eternal
watch word of not only Nigerians
but indeed all those who are
governed all around the world.
To be continued.