The saying that ‘politics is a dirty game’ has always been heralded long before we came of age. The reason is probably due to the incessant politically motivated violence and killings that have been carried out in time past. But aside the spate of violence that sometimes trail political campaign, there is another twist to it, and that is the manner in which politicians get to maneuver their ways around political mechanisms principally as it concerns switching between parties. The tendency of politicians to jump from one party to another has become commonplace in our society today, and this got me thinking; giving birth to the topic of discourse- politics of jokers.
Looking through events around the 'political landscape, one must have observed that the drift is more intense when elections are approaching as politicians seek avenues where their political interest will be defended and given the needed support. It is however not unlikely to see politicians resolve to leave a certain party because of the ills perceptible in the party. To this latter set, I will like put this question forward to: do you vacate your house just because the roof is leaking? – Probably not; damage would rather be fixed than one having to move out to some other place. So, in the vein, these politicians ought to be really about the evolvement and/or development of their respective parties as a force to reckon with. As a leaking roof should not chase one out of his house, so should leaving one party for another not be the way out had it been those ‘movers’ have the party’s growth at heart; they should conscientiously work towards resolving any nagging issue.
Inasmuch as everyone has got his/her preference, it will not be in my interest to speak ill of anyone’s ambition. However, there are some salient points I will like to share about politicians’ movement jamboree in the Nigerian political arena.
A test of loyalty
Though it is not expected that any politician any public office in Nigeria trade his loyalty for any other nation but this is about his loyalty to the oath of office if he eventually gets to the seat of power. And I make bold to say that a politician’s commitment to a particular party- even without the influence of any godfather- could, in a way, serve as a pointer to how well he will perform in office. Moreover, an individual’s ability to play a role in holding his party’s structure together in one whole piece can prepare him for the bigger task- centered on national development- ahead. In other words, a politician who will leave a mark in the sands of Nigeria’s political economy must have problem-solving skill, be calculative and be ready to handle challenges- he must be a goal-getter. But the sad truth is that we rarely see these kinds of politicians around.
Quest for power over all
Another obvious reason politicians switch parties is to have a springboard from which they can jostle for power. This drive/desperation for power is often placed over the vital need to develop the nation. In this regard, most of our politicians end up presenting themselves as half-baked technocrats with no authentic plans in place to turn around the fortune of the nation. Isn’t it even startling to see how a politician who had ‘promised heaven and earth’ [upon aspiring to get into an office] take a backseat and go into oblivion with his goody bag of promises after losing an election- no contributions to national development thereafter?
Escape route
If you can’t beat them, you join them, right? But in this context, if you want to dodge the hammer, just join them. One reason why the anti-corruption war may not be won on a large scale could be due to the way some top-shots or heroes of corruption get shielded after switching allegiance to a ruling party. These join the list of those who had been indicted in cases of corruption earlier thus heaping up the load of problems anti-corruption crusaders have to deal with.