POLITICIANS live for themselves. Conviction is not a value to associate with people, whose professed ambition is to access power, and its expansive opportunities, minding neither   costs nor consequences. Nothing is new in the speed with which politicians change camp in their search for relevance in the new governments that would be formed.

What may be new is the excuse that informs their decision. They complain about the absence of democratic culture in their former parties. While they were in-charge and managed the circumscription of the rights of others, there were no issues. Now that they are losers, they seek refuge in new platforms.

Nigerians may be worried about the implications of this habit for the future of our democratic experiment. Politicians only believe in “now”. Their convictions are solely about issues that benefit them, possibly, the only time they are consistent.

Some notice the “belief” of politicians now because for the first time in 16 years, a massive change in control of political power occurred. It left many, who enjoyed the “stability” of being in control, stranded. They are so used to the “comforts” of power that they cannot contemplate being outsiders in the control of Nigeria’s resources which is their abiding interest in politics.

Mr. John Oyegun, the national chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, latest target of the political migrants, said the moves were not good for Nigeria’s political development. “Many opposition party members have defected to APC just because they lost out, that is not good for political development. Opposition members should stay where they are, and form a formidable opposition,” Mr. Oyegun said.

The APC chairman could be faulted on several scores. The forte of his party is the arrival of “defectors” from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, principally the five governors who left in one day and took their “followers” with them. He could not have forgotten that so quickly. Other defections in quicker successions, including those who left APC, helped in “stabilising” APC as it progressed to national prominence. Defectors would go where the opportunities appear, APC was a major beneficiary of this phenomenon.

Under the freedom of association the 1999 Constitution provides, it would be illegal to deny people party membership, because of their earlier associations. However, our democracy cannot develop without convictions or with politicians who are in pursuit of momentary gains.

Changes of political garbs highlight the greed of parties that want power quickly, even immediately. They have no membership that has imbibed their values. Standards for membership and participation in elective offices, if strengthened, instead of the current short-term criteria, can rescue our flagging democracy and check the emergence of a one-party state.