By Jibrin Okutepa, SAN
The greatest threat to Nigerian democracy is not merely the absence of democratic institutions, but the presence of political actors who profess democracy while undermining its fundamental principles. Most Nigerian politicians have doubtful integrity and honour. One troubling contradiction in Nigerian politics is the apparent willingness of some politicians to maintain competing political loyalties, switch parties for personal advantage, and treat political organisations as tools for acquiring power rather than institutions founded on shared convictions and democratic ideals.
Democracy is not simply about winning elections or occupying political office. It is about fidelity to principles, respect for the law, political accountability, ideological consistency, and submission to the people’s collective will. Where politicians maintain divided political allegiances, disregard their parties’ constitutions, undermine internal democratic processes, and manipulate political structures to achieve predetermined personal ambitions, legitimate questions arise about their commitment to democratic governance. Political parties should be institutions of ideas, policies, and competing visions for national development. They should not become temporary shelters for political convenience or platforms for negotiating personal access to power.
Changing political parties is not inherently undemocratic. Freedom of political association is a constitutional right. However, political mobility becomes a matter of democratic concern when it is accompanied by dishonesty, conflicting loyalties, manipulation of party membership, or disregard for established electoral procedures. What do you say when people who have retained membership in their political parties are seen working against them? It makes no sense to me. A political system cannot develop enduring democratic institutions where personal ambition consistently takes precedence over institutional integrity.
Nigeria’s democratic development requires political parties whose leaders and members respect their rules. It requires transparent membership registers, credible party primaries, internal discipline, and electoral institutions that apply the law impartially.
The fundamental question is whether political parties exist to advance democratic ideals and serve the Nigerian people, or merely to facilitate the ambitions of those seeking political office. Political participation should be guided by convictions rather than convenience, service rather than entitlement, and constitutional principles rather than personal calculations.
Ultimately, the strength of Nigerian democracy will depend not merely on the number of political parties or the frequency of elections, but on political actors’ willingness to respect the rules that make democratic competition meaningful. Democracy cannot flourish where political principles are disposable, party loyalty is negotiable, and the pursuit of power consistently overshadows the public interest. Nigeria deserves a political culture in which integrity matters more than political advantage, institutions are stronger than individuals, and democratic principles are respected even when they frustrate personal ambitions. The future of our democracy must be built on principles, not political opportunism.
