A university lecturer, Dr Olakunle Lawal, has described the massive defections between political parties by Nigerian politicians as indication of low political development.
Lawal, of Diplomacy and Foreign Policy at the Lagos State University (LASU), made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos. He said that such defections might be based on personal ambition rather than national interest.
“The massive defections explains the low level of our political development. “We are; in a stage that can be called ‘directed democracy’ where; certain animate or inanimate forces direct our politicians to take certain political decisions.
Such forces could either come in form of political godfathers or quest for material wealth and political positions,” he said.
The lecturer explained that such political culture did not give room for political ideologies to thrive. He advised Nigerians to differentiate between political candidates and political parties in making electoral choices.
“A directed democratic practise can not accommodate political ideology; it only considers the ” directing forces,” while those with ideologies will simply stay out of politics.
“Nigerian electorates would actually do well to differentiate between; political candidates and political parties, as the major political parties are; similar in nature ” he said.
He advised politicians to always consider the nation in whatever political decisions they take, as national interest should supercede personal interest or ambition.
The prominent members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) recently decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), citing various reasons.
Prominent among the recent decampees were; the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed, as well as Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal. (NAn]
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