By AMINU JAHUN

Treachery, ingratitude, hubris, opportunism, and contemptuous disregard of the people are the hallmarks of Nigerian politics. The unfortunate and inexcusable defections from opposition parties to the ruling party, could only be due to the contempt for Nigerian voters.

Recently a former presidential running mate, and a current governor defected from their party to the ruling party. Dancing to the defection chorus, all the three Kebbi Senators like Andrew, checked out of the PDP to the ruling party.

Transfixed on a political wasteland, gazing towards a bleak political future and unsure of their next moves, the PDP offered them a political sanctuary, and dashed them senatorial tickets in 2023. And two years later, they repaid the invaluable gesture by setting ablaze the house which sheltered them in the rains, making the defections a political anticlimax.

In a videotaped interview two years ago, Senator Adamu Aliero, refuted allegations that he was campaigning for the Kebbi State APC gubernatorial candidate, Dr Nasiru Idris Kauran Gwandu. He reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, and piously pointed that it would be ingratitude to Almighty God to jettison the party, which provided him a platform for a hotly contested senatorial seat.

Former governor of Zamfara State and current Minister of State for Defence, Muhammad Bello Maradun, expressed higher loyalty to the party, by invoking the wrath of Allah SWT on himself, should he defect to any party. Disdainful of the wrath, thinking that as incumbent governor, he was immune from its effects, he defected to the APC and lost his reelection bid.

The Senators relied on Section 68(1) (g)   of the 1999 Constitution which stipulates, that a legislator who decamps to another party wouldn’t lose his seat, provided his defection is due to a division in his party or merger with another party.

Is the PDP really divided to shield the senators from the sanction of their defections? In 2023 when the party offered the defectors a comfortable ride to the Nigerian Senate, with a Board of Trustees, BOT; National Working Committee, NWC; Governors Forum,   etc,   the same party today has no parallel party organs.

If wishes were horses, the defectors would have conjured multiple BOTs, NWCs and Governors Forums as a constitutional safety valve for their defections. Since political dreams aren’t a substitute for political reality, a party with intact BOT, NWC and other organs can’t be a divided party.

The senators reinforced Section(68) (1)(g) —their misconstrued escape route out of the party- with riders: newness to the party, and their relations with the Kebbi State Governor.

Since the PDP is crisis-ridden, aren’t the senators politically indebted to the party to salvage it? Impliedly, It was the indebtedness which made Senator Aliero to reaffirm his loyalty to the party two years ago. And with the wisdom contingent on age and the moral rectitude to sit in the red chamber, aren’t the senators bound to repay the party’s debt in its hour of need?   The debt would be a perpetual burden-whether they are in the party or out of it- till it is fully discharged.

Is any Nigerian party structured into old and new entrants? Assuming the PDP is structured in that way, as new entrants would the three defectors be given the priviledge to contest in the party, because there would be older members who would also like to contest the posts? Therefore, their contests invalidate the arbitrary division of party members into old and new, and the abdication of responsibility of new entrants to help fix the party.

The rider that due to their closeness to the Kebbi State Governor, they have no option than to honour him with defections, is not worthy of consideration.

If voters aren’t to be used and dumped anyhow, there is a basic political obligation to seek their consent before elective officeholders dump their parties for others. In 2013 or thereabout, when the APC was formed, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso left the decision to leave the PDP with the people. He directed state-wide ward consultations to either approve or reject the defections. Based on reports of wide consent, he decamped to the new party.

If their constituencies had been consulted, would they concur to the senatorial   defections, as this would underscore their satisfaction with their security and economic plight? Most likely, the villagers in the terror-ridden state, wouldn’t agree to the defections.

Divisions in the party, newness therein, and closeness to the Governor are   smokescreen for the defections. The real   reasons are embedded in the nature of the parties, the behavioural traits of Nigerian politicians and encounters with government.

Presently, Nigerian political parties are mostly bereft of ideological focus, most of them are only fixated with the capture of political power to satisfy the accumulative appetite of their principal members. Since very few politicians are principled to resist financially induced defections.

Crowning their two years senatorial   sojourn without effectively containing the escalating banditry, and resuscitating the bleak economy in Kebbi State, with abandonment of the party which rescued them, leaves one no choice than to regard the defecting senators as Distinguished Andrews rather than opportunistic defectors.

The indefensible defections of privileged party members in executive and legislative offices, lends credence to the assertion that politics is an amoral activity in Nigeria.

*Jahun, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Dutse, Jigawa State and can be reached on 07039038088.