Emeka NWAGWUNA
Reports making the rounds of how PDP members are falling head over heels among themselves just to secure admission in APC following its victory in April polls has core lessons in understanding the thinking pattern of some Nigeria politicians. Although defecting politicians have rights under the law, to associate however they choose, it remains to be seen whether recent massive defections from PDP to APC possess any moral plea.
Certain lessons in ethics explain that the moral worth of man’s actions can be examined along three basic levels. These three levels also tallies with the accepted hierarchy in moral development.
A summary shows that at the first level which is at the base, man’s action is motivated by reward. At the second stage, the action of man is said to be inspired by societal pressure. On the third level which is the highest stage of moral development, conscience becomes the driver of the action of man.
Unfortunately, the action of our defecting politicians fairly corresponds to the lowest level in the hierarchy of moral development. Their actions are neither motivated by conscience which is associated with the highest level nor propelled by societal consideration which is the driving force in the second level. Sadly, the art of defection at this time can only pass for an enterprise rooted in individualistic egoism with all the appurtenances of desperation for reward.
Correspondingly, some politicians still remaining in PDP exist at the second levels of moral development. These are the ones who are still holding on to what remains of the once upon a time big PDP umbrella. They appear to have maintained their calm and some have even boasted of their resolve to remain in PDP even if they are the last persons remaining. Truth is they are still in PDP simply because they worry about what society will say about their defection. The reason for their having to remain in PDP has nothing to do with their faith in the party per se,
Excitedly, some PDP members still operate at the glowing third and highest level of moral development. These crops of politicians are few in the land. They truly can be referred to as leaders. They have been with the party, they are still with the party and you can be sure that they will remain in the party. They are the true owners of the party and some of them are foundation members. That they will remain in the party cannot be in doubt because these political leaders have endured obvious disappointing acts from successive government in power yet they remained in PDP preferring to represent stability. They are conscientious icons worthy of emulation. No need to mention their names for we know them.
It is easy to see that all recent decamping PDP elements are fair weather loyalists whose allegiance must go to non-other but the government in power. Politics for them is an art of aligning to the block with real or potential instrument of sharing the pearls of power.
The irritating ease with which these politicians hop from one political party to another like nomadic herds men in search of healthy grasses for hungry cows is worrisome. Although defections are not new in our clime, these days, it is done in such comic haste as though the essence of party politics is to show off and outdo contemporaries with the number of party cards one is able to acquire during his circus in politics.
These politicians need to know that political parties exist among other things to provide credible alternatives to existing policies and programmes of opposing parties or party in government as the case may be. These alternatives ought to be etched on an ideological foundation vaulted with the fullest extent of responsible leadership armament. When past leaders and leadership are studied in political philosophy, one hardly considered political leaders as possessing the inclination for jumping around as if being chased by unseen beings.
It is easy for people who don’t bother about the bigger picture to dismiss the defections as lacking in meaning for moral lessons. For them, since these political parties are hardly distinguishable on ideological bases, where a politician decides to pitch his tent therefore means nothing after all.
A superior approach however is that democracy strives more with the existence of viable, strong and issues oriented opposition as demonstrated by APC in the last 2years. But with the recent large scale defections even from some party leaders, it does seem like the APC will luxuriate in a political climate devoid of vigorous opposition at least in the nearest future. The implication is that inspiring opposition politics which APC resurrected in its engagements with PDP in the run up to 2015 polls will suffer inertia in years to come. This situation is analogous to what PDP enjoyed in the run up to the elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011. In those years, no viable opposition existed.
Another implication of this defecting campaign is that it creates a moral confusion for supporters for obvious reasons.
It would have made sense for these defecting devotees to seat down under the umbrella party and join hands with other party colloquies in an unpretentious effort to evaluate the reasons for their unimpressive outing in the last general elections. Such exercise will therefore situate them as party men and women on a path of awareness. This no doubt will lead in the spawning of new ideas on how to sway the confidence of voters to their side in the coming days.
Emeka NWAGWUNA
Lagos Nigeria
08063521954
emekanwagwuna@yahoo.com
