Changing political camps by members of the political class has been the recurring decimal since the beginning of this fourth Republic in Nigeria. Prominent among the series of defectors are elected governors most of whom are in their second term of office, some National Assembly legislators and their counterparts across the states, as well as other critical stakeholders, who may have held elective and appointive political posts in the past.
This has almost become a permanent feature of our fledgling democracy especially in the last couple of months in Adamawa state, where there have been allegations and counter-allegations that both the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders in the state have been tempting some ‘not too strong faithful’ from both parties to cross-carpet into their fold, so they could be given juicy political appointments at the national and state levels.
Although yours sincerely can neither confirm nor deny these allegations, but in most cases, party switching usually occurs owing mainly to myraids of reasons resulting from personality clash power tussle, crisis or division within a given political party, disagreement on party positions on an issue. Others are realisation of one’s political ambition, party leaders reneging on agreed issues of the political party: probably on party sharing formula, and divergent views on the operations of a political party’s philosophy and ideology, among other related issues.
A case in point is that of the immediate past Majority Leader in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Honourable Hassan Mamman Barguma, who represented the good people of Hong constituency between 2015 and 2019.
The former lawmaker in reference, and a minister in the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration, Dr Aliyu Idi Hong are the current political feathers added to the political caps of the Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri administration, that of the presidential aspiration of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and indeed to Hong chapter of PDP.
Hon Hassan Barguma in his resignation letter to his Ward Chairman of the APC in Hong stated: ” I joined the APC as a pioneer member in 2014 with the hope and high expectation of politics(sic) participation and justice, that will serve the needs of the people of Hong LGA, the state and Nigeria at large”.
He further stated, “I envisaged logic, hope and confidence that all people would be recognised, respected and given a chance. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and I can no longer stand by and watch helplessly”. These are excerpts of Hassan Barguma’s letter of resignation from the APC before picking the membership card of the PDP in Hong barely a week ago. Let me once more use this medium to formally welcome my friend and brother to the big umbrella.
There’s no doubting the fact, that we had witnessed and still witnessing series of defections from almost the available registered political parties in our clime, but at the risk of being branded by all kinds of unprintable names as it used to be by apologists of the authorities promoting Nigeria’s ‘fledgling status’ of our democracy among our peers, there’s nothing like ideological differences in manifestos of all the existing political parties in Nigeria. This is why in my opinion the word “cross- carpeting in Nigerian politics is irrelevant. In my mind, it can only be relevant in a situation where political parties have distinct ideologies and manifestos. This is not applicable in our situation over here. On this, I stand to be corrected.
Usually in most cases, members of the political class take a deep plunge into politics and political party because of their selves and where their interests can be better served- not that of the silent majority. Tuffiakwa!
Ordinarily, I don’t have any reason whatsoever to speak for or against Hassan Barguma, except for the fact that we have been friends, coupled with the fact, that i happened to be one of his constituents when he held sway as a representive my electoral ward in my immediate community. But for the mere fact, that I cherished his lessons of service to humanity most especially while serving as our representative, hence I feel I should add my voice to his political movement from his former party to the large umbrella party that promises to accommodate everybody. Political parties are mere vehicles of development hence they rarely make any meaningful difference. Rather, personalities make a great deal of difference in a democracy.
Wabundani, a commentator on national issues, writes from Yola, Adamawa state, via [email protected].
