There is no gain saying that democracy is still the best form of government devised by man. With all its flaws and imperfections, a representative form of government where the people get to choose who rule over them and are at the liberty to decide whether a regime stays or not would always be the perfect choice for the sustenance of freedom, equity and social justice.
Nigeria’s democratic experience, however, is one conundrum that classical and modern theorists of democracy never envisaged. When Robert Dahl, in his work Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition, opined that a modern representative democracy should be characterised by inclusive participation and competition where free and fair elections, freedom of expression and associational autonomy are guaranteed giving rise to a system that allows broad participation and meaningful competition, I’m sure he wasn’t referring to what is presently playing out in the Nigerian political space. A fiasco that should only be referred to as a comedy of errors, Awada kęrikęri in local yoruba parlance. And i say this with all sense of seriousness.
To begin with, i ask this fundamental question. What is a political party, and what is it actually meant for? Since this is a monologue, I’m compelled to answer the question myself. Maurice Duverger, a French political scientist in his work “Political Parties: Their Organisation and Activities in Modern States”, defined a political party as a group of people that is organised to gain political power, and influence government policies based on a shared ideology or a set of principles. The key elements to underline in this definition are: a political party is organised to gain political power; and should be based on a shared ideology.
The above raises further questions, and I’m prompted to ask what particular ideology permeates Nigeria’s political parties of this dispensation? The AG/UPN, NPC/NPN, NCNC/NPP of the first and second Republic had clear ideologies that represented the political interests of Nigeria’s political actors during those periods and therefore, party hopping, in the name of defections was not a trend.
Between January and July 2025 alone, well over ten key politicians have defected from one political party to another, mostly PDP to the APC. From a PDP that once held the reigns of power and ruled this country for 16 years, which one politician even said would continue ruling for the next 60 years, to the APC that is currently in power, and I’m sure nursing the same longevity ambition of late Chief Vincent Ogbulafo.
It is said that politics is a game of interest, no permanent friends, and no permanent enemies. But I ask yet again, is this interest self-motivated or geared towards public good, as politics itself is meant to authoritatively allocate scarce values for the benefit of people. If this noble cause alone motivated the founding fathers of PDP to form the party and had driven their policies all these years, I’m sure the party would not have disintegrated so much so that the centre could no longer hold as it was in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”.
Accusations and counter accusations of treachery, betrayal, and violations of agreements in the wake of the PDP presidential primaries of 2022 further worsen the already brewing tensions in the party following their loss to the APC in 2015 and their inability to regain power in 2019. And this, of course, has orchestrated the massive movement of major actors out of the party, some to the APC where it seemed rosy at the moment, others to form COALITIONS.
The Labour Party has had its own fair share of internal leadership tussle as well, with the party broken down to different factions under different party Chairmen. It was, therefore, no surprise that the main iconic figure of the party and its presidential flag bearer in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, decided to join seemingly strange bedfellows in the Coalition A group that already included the former Vice President and PDP Big Wig, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola and a host of others.
What is particularly puzzling about this union is that just few months ago, some of these key figures were staunch critics and antagonists of one another, but today, mutual interest has brought them together, or should I say the shared desire to re capture power that they once had and lost at one time or the other.
Thus, the conduct of politics is once again reduced to state capture and its adjoining paraphernalia of power and not necessarily for the public good.
When the ADC was adopted as the platform for the coalition and the newly appointed interim national chairman, David Mark spoke at the unveiling, he said that the coalition move was aimed at rescuing the country from a drift to authoritarianism, abject poverty, persistent insecurity and creeping civilian dictatorship. These indeed were very honourable objectives if they had come from a more justified source, that is. But since these were the same people that actually put us in the mess we are today, but are now pretending like the mess just began yesterday, i beg to differ.
Under this same David Mark’s watch as Senate President, there were allegations of financial misappropriation at the Senate, one being the payment of #2 billion into the Senate account for distribution to the senators as largesse. A case that warranted his summon by the EFCC. In the area of insecurity, this same period (2007-2015)witnessed the most intense state of insecurity in the country where Boko Haram practically claimed and took over territories in some parts of Borno State. Not forgetting the Chibok girls’ abduction in April 2014. This was equally the period when the other coalition members were also in government except for Atiku Abubakar, whose reputation is well known, though he left government earlier on, but had made several unsuccessful efforts to return.
So, truth be told, I don’t see any change this coalition is capable of bringing. Instead, i see a group of people who were once in power, lost that power, and desperately wanted it back. What is the moral Justification for an El-Rufai who was very instrumental in this present government’s rise to power to claim, he now seeks change when we all know that that desire only arose from a personal vendetta resulting from his alienation from the current scheme of things. A business gone wrong. Or an Amaechi who was a key player in President Buhari’s administration under the APC and only fell out when he failed to secure the party’s presidential ticket and couldn’t mend fences with President Tinubu. Or Aregbesola, for that matter. Arguably, the most loyal henchman of Tinubu who had been down with him since day one before ‘Trailer pass their middle’. So, in my candid opinion, the ADC will do well to spare us the BS and concentrate more on how they intend to wrestle power from the APC. And from my candid opinion again, the only thing i can say to that is ‘Dey Play’.
A President Tinubu who defied all odds to rise to power under circumstances that should be specially researched. Riding on the emi lo kan mantra, he secured victory, whether contestable or not, against the resistance, opposition, and machinations of the powers that be, both within and outside of his party. And he achieved these without wielding any executive power.
This is the kind of person one coalition wants to unseat now that he possesses all executive powers of the presidency and its adjoining paraphernalia of office. Permit me to say once again, ‘Dey Play’.
Sincerely, i would be surprised if this coalition survives beyond this year talk less of 2027, more so, when there is still a serious contention as to who picks up their presidential ticket. Also, from all indications, their foundation is defective. And no structure built on a defective foundation can stand. It’s only a matter of time.
Be that as it may, I believe in this country and in the potential of it’s Democratic experience. An experience that has been sustained for twenty-six years uninterrupted. Yes, the dividends of democracy are yet to be enjoyed by the common man. Yes, we are still miles away from the developed Western democracies. Building the road to that proverbial El dorado of true democracy is not a function of government alone. Everyone has a part to play. It’s highly hypocritical, if not unrealistic, to behave irresponsibly and dishonestly in our own little sphere of influence or wherever position of power we find ourselves, yet expect government to behave otherwise. Building true democracies requires the collective effort of all elements in society. Yes, the government may take the lead, but it also involves the civil society, media, private sector, business owners, and the entire citizenry. Each and every one has a role to play in fostering transparency, accountability, and inclusive participation. Democratic institutions in this country will only thrive when there is mutual trust, respect for the rule of law, and active civic engagement. Finally, enduring democracy demands a united commitment to shared values that uphold human dignity, freedom, fundamental human rights, equality, and social justice.
●Olusegun Hassan, Ph.D
Public Policy Analyst and Social Commentator writes from Ibadan.
