THE ELUSIVE ONE MAN

"Integrity is the lifeblood of any democracy,deceit is a poison in its veins"-Edward Kennedy

Contrary to what a lot of people think,the original author of the words-'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' wasn't William Shakespeare,It was William Congreve.And if he were still alive and a Nigerian in present day,I bet he wouldn't have borne any grudge if he heard any one say-'Hell hath no fury like a Nigerian politician scorned'.Every politician has a right to choose the party he/she wants to belong to.That right is constitutional; a reason why I frowned at the APC making all Presidential candidates sign an agreement to remain in the party no matter the outcome of the presidential primaries.Asides from being unconstitutional,what is the point when it is not enforceable in a court of law and you can't actually stop anyone who wants to leave?
A typical Nigerian politician isn't any different from the little kids we see around who hate you when you don't give them what they want and choose that time to remember just how bad you are.

This is defection season.Many after the primaries and many more after the General elections.
People who lose primaries in one party move to another with tales of how they just woke up to the fact that they have been in bed with a gang of thieves,glorified militants or fraudsters.It was all good a week ago and even yesterday until they lost the primaries.This category of politicians are the most annoying because they seem to genuinely believe they will sway you with their arguments.They never realized they had bad company until Primary Election results were announced.The honourable path beckoned after they suddenly realized what an unjust and cheating bunch they had been playing with.There are some who leave on a peaceful note and you respect them for not offending your sensibilities.They are the non-hypocritical few who are proud products of their environment and don't believe they owe anyone an excuse.
We also have the category that got bullied out because they had lost power and influence in their old parties.

Their stories in a nutshell,depict an image of those who regardless of what they did to those before them,bowed out 'honourably' and with their 'integrity' intact rather than be lorded over by people who see politics as a do or die thing.People who fall here in almost every case have acquired a decent level of experience as far as our politics is concerned but come across as being incurably naive and suffering from self-inflicted amnesia.These people ought to know more than anyone that money and power are the 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' in our politics.Today,an Obasanjo has to live with the fact that he can do nothing about Buruji Kashamu being the leader of his zone because whatever Power and influence he weilded in the region has long left him.Most people in this category rose to their former positions themselves because of the two 'WMDs' and when a new kid on the block emerges,they rant about how they are being sidelined and aren't being accorded due respect.
Usually,nobody bothers reminding them of what transpired between them and the former Leaders or elders whom they 'disrespected'.

Then the last category.The ones who strategically position themselves for great things.Ones who defect to a bigger platform knowing they are better placed to seize power or hobnob with those who have it and acquire the attendant benefits of doing such.Their excuses depict their old parties as being petty and unprogressive.To practice genuine democracy,you have to be in the midst of true democrats is the mantra.This class in my humble opinion,ought to spare everybody those long lines about not being able to do whats right in the wrong place.A good excuse which quite frankly only a few give is that they need to be in a place where they can get to serve the people in the fastest possible time.In other words,strategically positioned depending on which of the contexts you wish to adopt.One thing both sub-categories share in common is desperation.The poster boy for the latter context is Nuhu Ribadu.He left APC for PDP peacefully without falling out with anyone.He spared us a long sermon and in return,the objective ones among us kept mute.They have taught me to regard every Nigerian politician as guilty until proven innocent to be on the safe side.Even Gen.Buhari's CPC substituted candidates and staged controversial primaries, some right under his nose in Katsina.This is what we wake up to everyday.Politicians who themselves woke up to certain facts at the most convenient time and expect us to swallow their every line.In most cases,we know the real reasons even before hearing what they have to say and we would both be better off if we were spared some convenient tale about the friends they kept.
I have said countless times,anyone who regards a party as being better than the others only chooses to deceive themselves.What is the difference if anybody can stroll into any fold at their own convenient time?.Why fight with each other and argue over moral high grounds when they keep 'trading' members to each other?.

Sometimes I wish Obasanjo had taken up Tinubu's offer to join the APC.I would want to hear Lai Mohammed's excuse for all the atrocities they accused him off at one time or the other?Would they say He has 'Changed' or was misunderstood?.Clearly,Nigerian political parties lack ideology.If they did then it would have to be hypocrisy-centred because they always swallow their vomit.You can't call people thieves and admit them into your fold.In the great words of Malcolm X-"If you don't stand for something,you will fall for anything".
As far as the search for that one man who would decamp to another party for none of the aforementioned reasons goes; the one man who would jump ship not because he can't stand the heat or was scorned,the one man who wouldn't because he has something to gain,we are still searching.And I hope we find him soon...for our own good.