By Bashir Adamu
A University don, Professor Jonah Onuoha of the Department of Political Science in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has described the current trend of defections by some politicians across the nation as a lack of political ideology.
Onuoha stated this in an interview in Nsukka while commenting on the current gale of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress APC.
He alleged that politicians who are abandoning their political parties to join the ruling party at the centre are those who are afraid to lose the forthcoming general elections in 2027.
According to him, the tempest of defections to he ruling APC had once again indicated that some Nigerian politicians lacked political ideology and are only concerned about their interests.
Prof. Jonah Onuoha noted that those politicians are only seeking a platform to win elections in 2027, as well as to escape from being arrested by the EFCC during or after their regimes.
He revealed that the defections are anchored on a survival strategy as politicians believe that being with the ruling party, their interests are protected and sins are forgiven.
Onuoha, who is the Director, Centre for American Studies in the UNN, also expressed concern that the defections might affect the strength of the major opposition political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the country.
In his words, “It is indisputable that there is an internal crisis in the PDP now, but if members are dedicated to party faithful and believe strongly in the party’s ideology, the problem can be resolved before the 2027 general elections”.
Prof. Jonah Onuoha further explained that the ongoing gale of defections from PDP to APC will definitely affect the PDP’s chances of winning presidential, governorship, national assembly, and state assembly general elections in the forthcoming polls.
“For instance, on Tuesday, October 14, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State joined the APC with the entire members of the PDP in the state, which is a serious blow to the PDP,” he said.
The don, who was a former Head of Department of Political Science in the UNN, said if nothing was done to stop the present gale of defections, the country might drift into one political party system in 2027, which he said was unhealthy and strange to democracy.
