One of the most interesting element of the current Nigeria political gridlock is the defection fever which has gripped the country’s political gamut as the man at the epicentre is not realizing the ‘amazing disgrace’ he is causing the country with his assertive political distraction. Sometimes successes cordon some people’s sense of judgment as displayed by some political gladiators like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who “…will not miss an opportunity to miss an Opportunity’…” as explained in one of my articles published, Wednesday, August 3, 2005, www.nigeriaworld.com. He refused to manage the opportunity created for him by God.
Ironically, adding pressure to already tensed atmosphere in Rivers State; is the arrest of over 320 Islamic fundamentalists, popularly known as Boko Haram, in Rivers State. Historically, Amaechi has opened the gate for the group’s infiltration into the southern part of the country by way of engulfing the country with terrorism. How the group found its way to the South-South, through the borders of Rivers and Imo States, with over 17 loaded buses, allegedly owned by the former Inspector General of Police, that originated from Jigawa State, led by one Bala Mato Dambam, is a challenge to the Nigeria Intelligent Agencies. Another report has it that the terrorist group, Boko Haram, could attack Lagos State soonest.
In addition to what Amaechi’s political infatuated ambition is causing, could be in concert with the prediction that Nigeria would extinct from the world map in 2015. There is also the allegation of Amaechi’s creation of ‘Non-Indigenes’ local government in Rivers State, under the new political scribe; the Non-Indigene Political Pressure Group, NIPPG, for the APC Rivers. NIPPG would protect the interest of over 1.5 million non-indigenes residing in Rivers State; which might accept Boko Haram Terrorist Group. Definitely, Amaechi association with APC may have prompted the River State invasion by Boko Haram, which is a direct challenge to MEND.
Rotimi Amaechi borrowed a leaf from Obasanjo’s book of mismanaging an opportunity granted him by God. Amaechi became the governor of Rivers State through the PDP repulsive political foundation within the volatility political environment; endorsed by politically polluted Nigeria Judiciary; where citizens vote for the political party that sponsors the candidate. According to Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended: “No association, other than a political party shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election”. In addition, Section 177(c) of the Constitution also states that: “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the Governor of a state if he is a member of a political party and sponsored by that political party.”
In the case of Omehia vs. Amaechi, the Supreme Court ruled that; without a political party, a candidate cannot contest (an election). If as provided in Section 221, it is only a party that canvasses for votes, it follows that it is a party that wins an election. A good or bad candidate, may enhance, or diminish the prospect of his party winning, but at the end of the day, it is the party that wins or loses an election. In other words, the votes cast by electorates are for political parties and not the candidates. Moreover, on this principle, the Supreme Court ruled that since it was the PDP that INEC announced as the winner in Rivers State gubernatorial election, since Rotimi Amaechi was on PDP primaries, he was declared the winner.
Nonetheless, the court has not substantially given a clear-cut ruling on this issue as demonstrated in some other cases in the past, most especially on defection. Nigeria legal system is not clear on the issue of political defection as decided on the case of Abubakar Atiku.
In 2007, Atiku Abubakar defected as an incumbent Vice President; left PDP joined ACN; and still retained his VP position. Interestingly, the Supreme Court held that a person sponsored by a political party could defect without breaching any section of the Constitution.
However, in respect of an elected Senator, a member of House of Representatives and State Legislator, Sections 68(1)(g) and (2) and 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended provides that; “A member of the Senate or House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if-(g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another party before the expiration of the period for which that house was elected: Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.” That section of the Constitution is posing some challenges on political defection in the Nigeria political process.
 PDP and APC |
Nigeria has had a chequered political history of defection from their party to another from the pre-colonial administration. During the first Republic, the former Premier of the defunct Western Region of Nigeria, Chief Ladoke Akintola left Action Group in a crisis rooted more in personality clash and personal principles of the need for him to move the Yoruba race into the Nigeria’s mainstream politics. Dr. Kingsley Mbadiwe defected from the NCNC to form his political party, the Democratic Party of Nigeria in the 1950s based on disagreement with the party leaders. In the old Ondo State during the Second Republic, Chief Akin Omoboriowo, the then deputy governor of UPN government of Chief Michael Ajasin, defected to join the NPN and became its gubernatorial candidate.
The issue of defection is now running like wild fire, while some defectors could find out that they could be fishing baits. Political Analysts are awaiting the final decision of Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), on the defection, since Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has vacated his seat as they promised to return as soon as he did that. Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger) refused to move with their colleagues initially. It is becoming murkier as both Kwara and Kano States’ legislators have defected en-mass to APC.
Defection has characterised the political landscape of Nigeria, as it is usually normal in politics to defect to another political party. However, from 1999 to date (February 2014), many politicians at the local, state, and federal levels consistently defect from one political party to the other. Some politicians abandoned their parties on which platform they were elected; while others defected after losing elections using it as a window opportunity to cross-carpet to another political party.
Nigerians are seriously awaiting the outcome of the court ruling on the defectors, if they still have to carry their mandates, or find their ways around their newly found territory. According to the 1999 Constitution, as amended, electorates vote for political parties and not the candidates. Consequently, if any Governor vacated his mandate to join another political party, agreeing on the fake principles of where he has defected from, he should leave the position given to him with the party, PPA, CPC, ANPP, PDP, or APC. It will be a Judicial malfunction to find the ruling otherwise. The issue of personal proclivity in the Nigeria political climate is of concern to most Nigerians.
Most politicians in Nigeria do not exercise patience, lack sense of maturity, especially the defectors that could be regarded as political prostitutes; without party principles, endowed with defective morality, drained conscience, and lack political philosophy to champion the course of leadership for the wellbeing of the society and political development of the country. We could state that if a governor wants to leave, he can just come out of that position and walk away, leaving the ship intact for the political party to put another Captain in the yacht.
It is culpable, depraved, unpardonable, and iniquitous for somebody to win under one platform, and then jump into another party to harvest where he did not sow. Nigeria law prevents an independent candidate for any election in the country; meaning that you have to come under a political party to be elected, including the Governors.
Ironically, it is the State House of Assembly that has the authority to remove a State Governor; once it supports a defecting Governor, such Governor is at liberty to cross-carpet freely with the mandate. Moral application would inform the defector to drop that mandate and seek the mandate of the new found political home. The law omits the fact that if a serving governor crosses to another party the individual stands removed from office. Unfortunately, in the past attempts made by the National Assembly to block defectors from retaining their positions as they defect did not succeed.
 
APC is capitalizing on the domestically overambitious unappreciative Amaechi; by making un-progressive political blunder, directing its members at the National Assembly, to block all executive bills or confirmation of nominations from the President, including the 2014 budget. Blocking the passage of a budget seems confrontational and retrogressive, which deters progress or growth. When the Budget is trapped and the government shuts down, what would be the fate of an average Nigerian, who has not been doing well when the government is open for businesses?
They should be reminded that Nigeria is bigger than the Party directives. APC, in the quest to control the Central Government, may not be different from PDP, as neither has a clear cut ideology. They are all deceitful political parties with no clear cut directive towards the poor, muffled, powerless Nigerians.
Unfortunately, Rotimi Amaechi has made himself fishing bait for the APC political castle, not realizing that he is like a cow to be shipped to the foreign land, that when he gets there, he is going to turn corn-beef. APC is parading him as a good Ambassador representing the compliance with the rule of law.
Taking the issue from the source, Rotimi Amaechi has made himself a scapegoat in the ‘rubbish’ he created for PDP for his Vice Presidential ambition. Amaechi is the recipient of the PDP political hiccup that brought him to the Rivers State Governor’s mansion, as ruled by the Supreme Court, that the people voted for the Party not the individual. He has defected to APC and still maintaining PDP mandate, as the Rivers State Governor.
Ironically, Nigerian Police abuses are at the door step of Amaechi. He once kicked against the establishment of the State Police, as the Chair of NGF. He is the tenth unknown stooges of APC, who kicked against the need for a State Police.
APC could be working towards its self-destruction as Nigerians wait to see clearly, when dust settles down, when APC starts allocating key positions to their members. The incoming individual defectors would not just warm benches in their ‘Newfoundland’; while those in-house would protect the fruits of their labor.
 Senate Rowdy Session on the Defecting Senators Notification Letter |
There could be more carpet-crossings across political parties, as Atiku Abubakar has formally resigned from PDP to join APC, if he does not retreat back to PDP. Ten out of 12, initial 22 Senators, have dissociated themselves from the lawsuit that their names be removed from the list of the senators who wished to defect to APC in suit no: FHC/ABJ/ CV/ 621/2013 and copied to the leadership of the Senate. The reading of the defecting letter has been controversial at the upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
APC is however cajoling the members of the National Assembly for the control and changes of National Assembly leadership, deflating an experienced Administrator ‘Smooth Operator’ David Mark, as the Senate President; and displacing the political novice of Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the man who manages the Incubator of Corruption, crying wolfs on the pervasive corruption in the country, who, in the quest to maintain his Speakership could be dancing to the defecting song. Otherwise, what would have informed the HOR for the impeachment move on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at this point in time, is immaterial.
APC is familiar with the choreography of the election results as it has successfully installed Osun and Ekiti Governors through the tainted Judiciary and now seeking to buy over the Legislators at the National Assembly to have the majority hand at both Chambers. One hundred and eighty one is needed to have a majority at the National Assembly; with the defection of some members of HOR, APC still has a slim majority with 172 members, will possibly need nine members to reach a simple majority of 181 for its leadership of the House. The formula is reaching a road block in the Upper Chamber where David Mark seems to be in control of the Chamber.
The defecting Senators is hiding under Section 68 (1g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, with a letter to the Senate which in part says; “We, the undersigned Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party wish to notify you that we have severally and jointly joined the All Progressives Congress. This action and decision is as a result of the division and factionalisation in the PDP that sponsored our elections into the Senate. In view of the above, we write to inform you that following the division and factionalisation in the PDP, we have formally joined the APC. This communication is pursuant to Section 68 (1g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. For your information, guidance, and record purposes. It is too cloudy as to the final result of the APC political game, courtesy of Rotimi Amaechi.
 ‘Smooth Operator’ Senate President & Political Novice HOR Speaker |
The fever of cross-carpeting is affecting PDP, APC, PPA, ANPP, CPC, as most of them are still looking for relevance in sustaining their personal goals and ambition, not that of those they were supposed to serve. Hence, anything goes to attain and retain their jobs for the luxury and packages attached to the public offices in Nigeria, whereby the private individuals are thriving and struggling to survive on their own.
There is a mental dislocation among some political players in the country, as Nigerians need inspiring leaders to lead the country through its challenges, not with the make-shift die-hard politicians. They are virtually taking Nigeria for a ride and taking Nigerians for granted.
The bleakness of the country is gyrating and possibly leading the country to its extinction as predicted a couple of years past, coincided with Lord Lugar’s Century Contract among various Nigeria Nations within a forced union, called Nigeria, which the players never belief as the issue of religion, ethnicity have been added to the equation of disintegration. Ironically, Nigeria is a country where nothing works, where policies are tailored to the benefit of powerful, strongest players in the community.
What an austere, hopeless Country where flies feast on the carcass of the remains of Lord Lugard’s corn-beef!
Femi Ajayi is a Professor of Policy, Management & Conflict Resolution, at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State
