– Maroof Asudemade

There is something almost poetic, if not downright theatrical, about the spectacle of Nigerian politicians defecting with the speed and ease of commuters changing danfos at Ojota. One begins to wonder: is this the much-feared “one-party state” in motion, or simply a well-choreographed dance where the music never really changes?

Take the oft-repeated allegation that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is quietly laying the foundation for a one-party state. A serious claim, no doubt. But if that is indeed the grand design, then someone forgot to inform the political actors. Because what we see instead is not the consolidation of power into one immovable structure, but a revolving door, creaking endlessly as aspirants hop in and out of parties with breathtaking convenience.

In a true one-party state, defection is either unnecessary or dangerous. Here in Nigeria, it is a lifestyle. Politicians do not merely cross carpets; they somersault across ideological lines with the elegance of Olympic gymnasts. Today’s fierce critic becomes tomorrow’s loyalist; no apology tour required, no explanation demanded. Principles, it seems, are now as portable as party membership cards.

Of course, the official excuse is always wrapped in the language of “serving the people better” or “aligning with progressive visions.” One might almost believe it until the timing coincides suspiciously with lost primaries, denied tickets, or the sudden discovery that another party has become more “accommodating.” It is less about ideology and more about where the political weather feels warmest.

From Peter Obi, formely LP, and Rabiu Kwankwanso, formerly NNPP, who defected from African Democratic Congress (ADC) to National Democratic Congress (NDC), and to others, like Atiku Abubakar, David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, who left PDP in ruins to allegedly hijack ADC from the original owners of the party, Nigerians have witnessed how these elements effortlessly moved from a party they jointly maimed to hijack another party at billion-point, in a one-party state!

And, the vociferous voice of  one-party state allegation against President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, filling the grave where PDP has been buried, is also rolling sleeves to defect to APM in a marathon manner, as allegedly reported.

So, if Nigeria is indeed drifting toward a one-party state, it is doing so in the most ironic way possible: through a chaotic marketplace of defections, where loyalty is negotiable and conviction is, at best, seasonal. It is not a rigid dictatorship of uniformity, but a fluid carnival of convenience.

Perhaps the real genius of the system is this: why impose a one-party state when politicians are already behaving as though all parties are fundamentally the same? In that sense, the dream, if it exists at all, may already be fulfilled. Not by force, but by enthusiastic participation.

And so, the defections continue. Not as acts of rebellion, but as routine adjustments in a political ecosystem where the only constant is movement, and where the destination, curiously enough, always seems to be power.