CROSS-CARPETING

The re-defection of former vice president Atiku Abubakar from the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is another example of the shallowness of our leadership quality in this nation. We have unimpressive politicians taking political decamping to another level. It is unprecedented and laughable all at the same time.  Carpet crossing, a term not unfamiliar to us, has become a pastime here, which really borders on the incredulous. We have such characters as Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo. In fact, his recent movement to the APC made it the sixth time Okorocha would switch parties! The situation is so distasteful now that one has to crosscheck to ascertain who belongs where.

As soon as five of the seven PDP governors opposed to the former chairman decamped to the APC, a floodgate of carpet crossing was opened. State legislators, federal legislators, party supporters and political heavyweights loyal to those governors followed their lead. In most cases, party secretariats at state level were repainted and renamed to reflect the change in direction! What does this mean? Our politician’s are irritating flies searching aimlessly for wherever there is booty and flying to wherever they need to do to get a foothold. Their primary concern is to get some, to be of that exclusive club. Hey, look at me, I still de o! I am still relevant and must be settled.

Our constitution guarantees freedom of association. Yes it does, but what is freedom without responsibility? We can never be truly free unless we have responsibility. It is obvious that our politicians are taking full advantage of the lapses in the Electoral Act. This is certainly a smear on their character. Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, has conceded that the Act is not clear on the issue of defection. One wonders if current trends do not embarrass him enough to propose an amendment to that effect. Beneficiaries of our lax political system have refused to view the argument from moral and ideological standpoints, whether or not the law is ambiguous. It is straightforward enough; a mandate won under Party ‘A’ cannot be transferred if the custodian switches to Party ‘B’ because the electorate would have voted the candidate of the latter in the first place if that were what they wanted. A defector who holds a representative seat is a thief if he defects and holds on to that seat. It should not be tolerated. He has robbed the electorate.

What interest does a decamping politician serve? What do they stand for? What message are they passing across to the electorate? What changes when they switch allegiance?  It is business as usual because what we have are political parties with no ideologies. Ideally, you join a party because it has a set of principles and beliefs compatible with yours. So, those who move from one party to another are reflective of a chaotic political madhouse full of charlatans, where anything goes. They represent our Sodom and Gomorrah, where anything and everything can fit anywhere; both parties are actually two sides of the same coin.

Ideology, a way of life, a belief system is what makes it highly unlikely for a Republican to become a Democrat in America, or a Conservative Party member of parliament in the United Kingdom to switch to the Labour Party.  Allegiance is not to the party per se but to its beliefs, which beliefs remain constant, irrespective of any internal crisis. It is OK to argue and agree or agree to differ but parties and their constitutions must be strong enough to operate within a set of rules that all the members can respect and trust. Digging in and ensuring that your party and its belief system are not derailed is the promise that we make to the electorate at election time. Jumping ship is irresponsible.

In South Africa, the ruling African National Congress has been around for over a century, yet not all black or colored South Africans pitch a tent with the party. On the other hand, ANC members stay with their party. An example of such allegiance is former president Thabo Mbeki, who, despite being humiliated out of office in favour of the incumbent Jacob Zuma, is still a staunch ANC member. He bowed to the party’s wishes.     

    

Perhaps the electoral Act should make provision for independent candidacy, so that individuals who do not align with the ideologies of any of the political parties can stand for election and test their popularity among the electorate.  Currently, precedent or not, we are practicing a system of stolen mandates. We should stand up against it or are we also carpet crossers? Arsenal today, Chelsea tomorrow! Can anyone so fickle be really taken seriously? What do you stand for?