In most cases, however, these quests by politicians to either ascend higher or clinch a certain political position have often led to defection.
This indeed has been the trend since the return to democratic governance in the country.
To say the least, there are few politicians who have not moved from one political party to the other all in search of greener political pastures.
Most often, these politicians are either caught in the web of political infirmity or pushed by seen and/or unseen hands to dump their former political parties for the other.
Defection by Nigerian politicians is not alien to the current crop of politicians who believe and argue that political parties are mere vehicles for achieving a certain political position of which they opine that in the course of political activities, the party either by its own fault or that of intruders are rendered ineffective.
The politicians must therefore always move on in pursuit of their political goals.
Before the birth of the ruling All Progressives Congress following the merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Political Change (CPC), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and other political parties, Nigeria has been under the fangs of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Even before the formation of PDP in 1998, many top politicians had already been in the defunct Africa Peoples Party, APP, a party formed by the former Head of State, Late Sani Abacha. Suffice to say that before then too, there were other political parties like the UNCP, APP, UNDP and numerous others.
From 1999 that the country test-ran the return of democracy after many years of military interregnum, on the platform of PDP, many politicians across the country especially in the Southeast came together from various political parties to contest elections on the platform of PDP, thereby defecting from their former political parties.
There is no gainsaying the fact that defection is more rampant amongst politicians of Southeast geo-political extraction with no exception all in the quest to remain politically relevant in the scheme of things.
In fact, in every election year, every political party matter in the zone despite how many years of inactivity and political limbo, once it is election year, returns to its offices dusts them and begins to wait for new beautiful brides because many politicians would abandon their original parties for them.
There were many political parties that were not doing well and were not on the threshold of making history that were revived by some political heavyweights in the zone in the course of pursuing their political ambitions.
From the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) to Labour Party, life returned to almost all the political parties that were hitherto referred to as mushroom parties when some bigwigs joined them and 'dry bones' rose again.
Nigerian politicians have strong political characters and have almost insatiable quests to get power by all means; hence not even deficiency in any political party could deter them from such aspirations.
However since the successive administrations in the country, many or almost all the known active politicians have at different times left their original parties for others all in search of greener pastures.
While some political watchers posit that they have taken very big shot in the dark, others see it as the only way to get what was denied them in their respective political parties. IT HAS THEREFORE BECOME AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL NORM IN NIGERIAN POLITICS.
Another major reason for this ease of defection is the fact that political parties in Nigeria are not run on ideological basis.
What they offer as manifestoes are basically the same for all parties. Meanwhile, from available records only very few (mostly not very active) politicians have never cross carpeted.
Let's pick some known political heavyweights of Southeast extraction and chronicle their political exploits since 1999 below to assert our postulations:
Dr. Chinweoke Mbadinuju, PDP-AD,-APC. He was elected Governor of Anambra State in 1999 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
However when he fell short of political grace as a result of the intractable political crises between him and his godfather and the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he was stripped off of his political robe.
Frustrated and dejected, Mbadinuju wanting to retain his seat at the Awka Government House defected to Alliance for Democracy (AD) and later to ACN and now to All Progressives Congress (APC) all in search of political relevance.
Senator Chris Ngige: PDP-ACN-APC. Like his predecessor, Senator Chris Ngige, the current Minister for Labour and Employment has also changed political parties before his current position as member of the Federal Executive Council.
Chief Achike Udenwa, the former Governor of Imo State after his eight years in office left the fold of PDP to APC and later returned to PDP.
Ikedi Ohakim also at a time left PDP to PPA, a platform he used to emerge the Governor of Imo state and later went back to PDP.
Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State left PDP and formed, PPA. He later dumped the party he formed and returned to PDP.
He left again and went back to PPA, lost Senatorial election in Abia and immediately President Jonathan lost election, he defected to the ruling party, APC
Senator Theodore Orji started with PDP cross carpeted to PPA, won election as Governor of Abia State before he left for APGA and later went back to PDP. He is now a PDP Senator
Rochas Okorocha was one of the founding members of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. He left the party to PDP, went to APGA, won election as Governor of Imo State and defected to APC where he is today.
Chief Emeka Worgu, former Minister for Labour and Productivity under Jonathan's PDP administration.
He has also left PDP for APC while Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, the former Minister for Labour left PDP to APGA.
Senator Nkechi Nworgu left PDP for APC, while Senator Emmanuel Azu Agboti left PDP for APC. Julius Ucha from Ebonyi state left PDP to ANPP and is now in APC.
Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, the former Governor of Enugu state left PDP to PDC.
Prof Charles Soludo, former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN contested the governorship seat in Anambra state on PDP platform, lost the election and left PDP.
Again in 2013 he did same on APGA platform before he left and rejoined PDP.
His next political destination is not yet known especially with his recent utterances which are not favourable to PDP.
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State left ANPP and joined PDP and his next move is not yet clear as there are speculations about his movement to APC.
Dr. Ifeanyi Uba.
The Anambra born oil mogul moved from PDP to Labour party and moved again to APGA before he returned to PDP. Senators Joy Emordi and Alphonsus Igbeke all moved from APP to PDP and ANPP.
Senator Emordi thereafter moved from PDP to APGA and returned to PDP while Senator Igbeke moved from PDP to APGA.
Senator Andy Uba. PDP-LP-PDP-APC:
The Uga born politician is the Senator representing Anambra South senatorial zone.
He won the governorship election in 2007 under PDP.
The former Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo is the shortest serving Governor in the history of the State having been on that seat for 17 days before his election was invalidated by a Supreme Court judgment that insisted that Governor Peter Obi's tenor in office had not ended.
He took another shot at the governorship in 2010 under Labour Party having lost the PDP ticket to the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
After the election, he returned to PDP where he won the Senatorial election to represent Anambra South in the Senate.
Mr. Peter Obi: APP-PDP- APGA-PDP:
The former Governor of Anambra State before his emergence as APGA governorship candidate in 2003 was a strong member of APP before joining the All Progressives Grand Alliance; APGA under which he became Governor.
Upon completion of his eight years in office and in a bid to serve Nigeria at a higher level, he defected to PDP.
Senator Annie Okonkwo: PDP-ACCORD-APGA-APC, PDP:
He represented Anambra Central senatorial zone from 2007 to 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He left the party’s fold in 2010 when he felt aggrieved over the outcome of the PDP primary election in the state in 2010 which Prof. Soludo won to join Accord Party.
He failed the Senatorial election, joined APGA, used it to negotiate his membership in APC but finally returned to PDP to contest the senatorial primary election in 2011.
His current political abode is not clear
Senator Uche Ekwunife: PDP-APGA-PDP-APC:
The female political bulldozer was the Senator representing Anambra Central senatorial zone in the National Assembly.
She contested for the Anambra governorship seat of 2013 on the platform of APGA and came second in the primary election.
She joined APC after the Court of Appeal nullified her election as Senator representing Anambra Central senatorial zone and when PDP denied her ticket to contest the re-run election as ordered by Appeal Court, Senator Ekwunife joined APC in search of political platform to return to the Senate.
[By Emeka Iloegbunam]
[Emeka Iloegbunam who studied at UNN was Former Special Assistant to the Hon. Commissioner at Ministry of Youth & Sports, Anambra State]
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