Kayode ShopekanFEMI Fani Kayode has not done anything strange or new because defection from one party to another is a very common occurrence in Nigerian politics, former Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association, Barr. Adekunle Ojo said.
Ojo, a Lagos based Legal Practitioner and Public Affairs Analyst, made the statement in a chat with Prime Business Africa.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“It is typical of an average politician in Nigeria to go back to his vomit. Other politicians that we know of very well in the country have done it and nothing happened to them,” Ojo said, adding that there is really nothing to discuss on the topic seeing it is a Nigerian political malaise.
He made reference to some politicians who have done similar thing in the past.
“The governor of kebbi state, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said worse things than FFK but he later turned around to go back to where he said he would never go. Politicians in Nigeria are people who lack integrity; they are never bound by their words, because in the first place there is no ideology. You can’t see such happening in the United Kingdom or the United States of America.
In United Kingdom, you either belong to the labour party or the conservative party and you hardly hear of cross carpeting. So also in the United States of America, once you are democrat or republican, you stick with it for the rest of your life.
In Nigeria, politicians keep jumping here and there because they lack integrity and there is really no consistency of policy and no consistency in political yearnings.”
Also speaking on the issue of FFK’s defection, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale popularly known as ‘Aeroland’ said “we don’t have leaders in Nigeria.”
Adewale, a one time Senatorial candidate under PDP said, “Most politicians you see in Nigeria, are not really called to lead, they are to their pockets. What dictate their actions and decisions are their pockets, meaning that we practice pocket politics in Nigeria.”
Speaking further Adewale said, “You know he used to be seen as a voice for PDP, but that he left does not surprise at all because politicians generally in Nigeria seem to be in politics for their own selfish financial gains. So there is no integrity, because most politicians lack financial integrity.
“Femi Fani Kayode as we all know is not somebody you can bank on and it’s not only him, there are so many of them like that, but what makes his own so sad is that he has cursed himself.
“He had cursed himself severally, saying that this and that should happen to him if he ever goes back to All Progressives Congress (APC).
Politicians in Nigeria have always moved from party to party to better their chances at the polls or to get party ticket, in order to contest an election.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari cross-carpeted from Congress for Progressive Change to All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar keeps defecting now and again from Peoples Democratic Party to All Progressives Congress and back to People’s Democratic Party, Godwin Obaseki from APC to PDP.
Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, and Bello Matawale of Zamfara, these three governors moved to APC from PDP, apart from the many senators and House of Representatives members who have also defected or are still defecting.
It is however interesting to know that the crop of politicians that we have today learnt very well the art of cross-carpeting from their predecessors.
During the second republic, Akin Omoboriowo, defected from United Party of Nigeria (UPN) to National Party of Nigeria. Abubakar Rimi from the Peoples Redemption Party to Nigerian People’s Party, Samuel Ladoke Akintola defected from Action Group to Nigerian National Democratic Party. Kingsley Mbadiwe moved National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons to Democratic Party of Nigerian Citizens among so many other defections that has from the first republic up till now.
“Conclusively, in light of all the listed defections, FFK has not done anything strange or new, defection from one party to another is a very common occurrence in African.”
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