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By Chukwudi Abiandu

A gale of defections is blowing across Nigeria’s political landscape — from the South-East to the South-South — and its direction is clear: into the waiting arms of the All Progressives Congress (APC). But beyond the speeches, the smiles, and the staged ceremonies, this gale carries the stench of betrayal, not renewal.

Enugu State’s Governor Peter Mbah’s recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC is not an isolated event. It is part of a growing trend of political opportunism disguised as patriotism; a wave of self-serving relocations by those who owe their rise to the very parties they now abandon. To call these defections acts of “service to the people” is to abuse language and insult public intelligence.

Let’s be clear: betrayal is not too strong a word. The dictionary defines it as “treachery” or “a stab in the back.” When politicians who were nurtured, promoted, and protected by their parties suddenly cross over to the very party they once demonised, often the ruling one — it is not about ideology or service; it is about survival. Having drained their old parties of value, they flee to new shelters that guarantee power, protection, and access to privilege.

Governor Mbah’s justification that his move was made “to better serve the people of Enugu” is a hollow refrain that Nigerians have heard too many times. If service were truly the motive, these defectors would have stayed to reform their parties from within. The PDP, for all its internal wrangling, still provides a platform for leadership renewal. But it takes courage and conviction to rebuild a broken house. What we see instead is the coward’s path, abandoning ship once the storm hits.

Mbah’s claim that his loyalty is to “the people, not the structure” rings false. Nigeria’s electoral laws are clear: no individual runs as an independent candidate. It was the PDP, its structure, its members, its campaign machinery, that presented him to the electorate and fought for his mandate. To now pretend that the party was merely incidental to his victory is the height of political hypocrisy.

The real motivation behind this defection spree is neither reform nor service; it is self-preservation. Many of these governors, facing waning influence and internal party disputes, are crossing to the APC to secure political cover — a second term, immunity from scrutiny, or continued relevance in the corridors of power. Their move is a calculated strategy to remain in the system that guarantees their comfort, not the well-being of their people.

What Nigeria needs now is not more defections, but ideology-driven politics. Political parties should be founded on principles, not personalities. They should represent clear philosophies of governance, not temporary alliances for grabbing power. Until parties are built on ideology rather than ambition, loyalty will continue to be transactional, and betrayal will remain the easiest route to political survival.

The current defection gale reveals a sad truth: our democracy has become a marketplace of convenience, where political actors trade principles for power and loyalty for leverage. But Nigerians are watching — and history will not forget those who chose self-interest over service.

If the defectors think the people are too distracted by hunger to see through their motives, they are mistaken. The poor may be weary, but they are not blind. The day will come when the gale of betrayal will be met with the whirlwind of accountability.