Defections Threaten Nigeria’s Democracy, Ex-Gov Attah Warns

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, has raised concerns over the growing wave of political defections in the country, cautioning that the practice poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic stability.

Speaking on The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on Arise Television, Attah warned that constant cross-carpeting and power struggles among political elites risk undermining governance and policy consistency.

“If we have an unstable party system in Nigeria, we will have unstable policies, and eventually, an unstable nation,” he said.

Attah attributed the trend to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he accused of setting the precedent for frequent defections. “I attribute the rise in defections within Nigeria’s politics to the PDP, as they were the ones who set this trend in motion,” he added.

Defections have long been a recurring feature of Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly during election seasons, with politicians frequently switching between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition PDP. Often, these moves are driven by political advantage or protection.

Although Section 68(1) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that legislators who defect should lose their seats, the law has been inconsistently applied. Court judgments and political compromises have enabled many defectors to retain their positions, further entrenching the culture of cross-carpeting.

Attah’s warning comes amid renewed calls for reforms to strengthen party discipline and ideology. In recent years, defections by governors, lawmakers, and other high-profile politicians have reshaped political alignments across states and at the national level, sparking debates about the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.