DEFECTION- MY 2K THOUGHTS
Political Parties are no Cults, so, people have the constitutional right to defect once their interests are no longer protected!
Those who have the boldness to switch loyalty are not betrayers rather it is those who stay on and plot the downfall of their party, who are the real betrayers.
In any case, starting from President Buhari to very many others including the recent one, Gov Dave Umahi are all defectors.
Those like me who do not understand the intricacies of politics in this clime will continue to cast aspersions on the real politicians who understand that politics is a serious business. It is said that there are no permanent friends nor enemies but permanent interests. There is therefore no one involved in politics without an interest! It only depends on how much of your interests are met and when they are met. Otherwise, being in one place for a long time without making progress, then you are yet to meet your desired goals, if any.
I hear Gov Wike says Gov Umahi defected from APC to PDP because of his personal ambition for the Presidency in 2023, well, that could be true and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s his inalienable right. Surprisingly, Gov Wike who has been harvesting members of the APC in his state sees nothing wrong with such defection which many describe as financially induced. Yes, everyone has a price, no matter where they belong. That price is the interest!
Those who sit and castigate defectors are oftentimes ignorant of the challenges, interests and frustrations of those who dump their loyalty for another. Not many bother to ask to know if there is an even distribution of the benefits accrued from the business, yet, we are in a hurry to attack those who have chosen their path of life.
Even those who do not defect cannot deny giving it a thought once in a while, especially when their interests suffer repeated denials.
In the end, only those who place value on themselves and would be valued!
On my part, defection is possible cos I once defected from PDP to PPA the moment I was rigged out of a primary election I clearly won. The alternative to my ticket was to be appointed as a dumb SA to the Governor!
Not everyone is cheap.
My only challenge is how I am going to sit in the counsel of the same people I stoutly fought on the other side.
How do I make up with Dr Peter Odili whom I defied his orders to support Rotimi Amaechi against Celestine Omehia? How do I apologize to Omehia for being one of the keyplayers who threw him out of power after 5 months as Governor? What more can I say of Austin Opara whose primary election I scuttled. He knows and remembers very well what role I played. Not sure he will ever forgive me.
What of my stiff opposition to Gov Wike? The commentaries are voluminous. In spite of our closeness, I refused to support him because of my unadulterated loyalty to Amaechi. Yet, it was a betrayal to a friend with whom I worked hard to dethrone Omehia.
Make no mistake about it, I am not stuck nor am I under any oath. Rather, I have played politics with emotions leaving out the business side of it. While life poses us with choices and alternatives at any time, it is our responsibility to choose rightly to our benefits or we choose wrongly to our pains and disappointment.
Let those who are sure of their convictions move ahead while those of us who gamble with our fate continue to do so.
In all, it’s all about interests!
