Defections by Politicians Will Kill Nigeria's Democracy, Good Governance

A human rights advocacy group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law(Intersociety), on Monday stated that the gale of defection sweeping through the country is capable of truncating Nigeria's democracy.

The group said the movement of political leaders from one party to the other would also have adverse effect in governance.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the group, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, it said apart from speedily facilitating the funeral ceremony of Nigeria’s democracy and good governance, among other consequences of defection in the country is a state of anarchy.

The group listed joblessness, retardation of economic growth and development, mass poverty and heightening insecurity and other unsafe conditions as some of the adverse effects that would result from the actions of the politician.

The statement which was made available to journalists in Awka, the Anambra State capital, said: "Nigerian Government must therefore return the country to a glorious path, including service and humanity-oriented governance, or face the citizens’ anger which may most likely be too difficult to manage."

It described the defection of politicians from one party to the other as portraying Nigeria in bad light, as politicians have no clear-cut ideologies nor the political parties, as the defections are all for selfish gains.

The group said the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) can use the opportunity of the anomaly to correct future occurrences by approaching the Supreme Court, and as a long term solution, it called on the federal government to allow all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to determine how to live together or apart in peace.

According to the group, "In the interim, the AGF can approach the Supreme Court using the recent defection by the Senate president to resolve once and for all the maddening political defections in Nigeria.

"The government of Nigeria must also reverse its present inglorious political path and return the country to constitutionalism and democratic conventions.

 "As a long term solution, the government must allow all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, through referendum or representative capacities, to determine or re-determine how to live together or part ways in dignity, peace and prosperity.

"The present master-servant union of animal kingdom whereby the fear of cattle or cow and their herders and patrons in Nigeria is the beginning of wisdom for the fearer is not only a recipe for anarchy but also totally intolerable and unacceptable.”