In a season of political recalibrations, a growing number of Nigerian politicians are defecting en masse to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). From governors and senators to local party chieftains, the trend has become a defining feature of Nigeria’s political landscape in the first half of 2025. While such shifts may appear to be part of the political game, they raise profound questions about the integrity, ideology, and future of democratic governance in Africa’s most populous nation.
The wave of defections
Recently, several prominent politicians—spanning opposition parties and former ruling blocs—have joined the APC. These include former governors, current state executives, members of the National Assembly, and influential local powerbrokers. Though individual motives vary—from survival and ambition to opportunism—the collective pattern is unmistakable: Nigeria’s democracy is undergoing a dangerous mutation.
Political realignment in Nigeria is not new. But what makes this current wave more alarming is its sheer scale and timing. It comes not from deep ideological persuasion or a national emergency but rather from a growing perception that the APC is the only viable route to political relevance and protection. That perception, if left unchallenged, could destroy the last vestiges of credible opposition in the country.
What drives the defections?
To understand the implications, one must first unpack the motivations. Three major factors are fuelling this defection season:
1. Access to power and resources: In a system where politics is the fastest route to wealth, control of federal machinery—contracts, appointments, security protection—becomes irresistible. For many, defecting is less about belief and more about access.
2. Protection from prosecution: Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture, while robust on paper, is notoriously selective in practice. Joining the ruling party has often translated to a de facto immunity shield. It’s no surprise, then, that several defectors are politicians under investigation.
3. Collapse of internal democracy: Opposition parties—especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)—are suffering from chronic internal wrangling. Many defectors claim they were sidelined, undermined, or unfairly treated by their former parties, leaving them with no option but to switch camps.
Implications for Nigerian democracy
While party switches are legal, the frequency, motivation, and impact of these defections represent a deepening crisis for Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
1. Death of ideology
When politicians switch parties as casually as changing outfits, it signals the erosion of ideology in Nigerian politics. Parties become indistinct, reducing electoral choices to personalities rather than policies. For voters, this undermines the basis of informed decision-making.
What differentiates APC from PDP today? The truth is: very little. Both are filled with the same faces, the same ideas, and the same contradictions. This ideological bankruptcy is dangerous. Without clear ideological competition, elections become contests of tribe, religion, or raw cash.
2. Weakening of opposition
A democracy without a strong, credible opposition is no democracy at all. The defection of major opposition figures to the ruling party not only weakens institutional checks and balances but also emboldens authoritarian tendencies.
Already, the National Assembly is teetering on the edge of becoming a rubber stamp. When opposition lawmakers cross over en masse, they surrender the critical role of holding the government accountable. It opens the door for executive overreach, weakens oversight, and leaves citizens with little protection against state abuse.
3. Public cynicism and voter apathy
Perhaps the most devastating impact of this defection frenzy is psychological. Nigerians are watching the same politicians hop between parties every election cycle with zero ideological commitment. It deepens public cynicism. Why vote when nothing ever really changes? Why care when everyone’s loyalty is up for sale?
This erosion of trust in political institutions is already manifesting in declining voter turnout. In the last general elections, turnout dropped below 30%—a dire warning sign for any democracy.
4. Politicisation of the anti-corruption war
When high-profile politicians cross over to the ruling party and suddenly see their legal troubles disappear, it delegitimises the entire anti-corruption effort. Citizens begin to see corruption as a partisan issue, not a national menace. The result is a culture of impunity—where political allegiance, not justice, determines guilt or innocence.
A dangerously one-party state?
Nigeria is slowly slipping into what political scientists call a “dominant-party system”—a system where one party consistently controls power at the centre, not because of superior performance, but because it absorbs opposition into itself.
This is unhealthy for federalism. It encourages conformity over competition, loyalty over merit, and silence over dissent. It also centralises power dangerously, especially in a country as diverse and complex as Nigeria. The consequence could be political stagnation, resistance from marginalised groups, and eventually, civil unrest.
What must be done?
To reverse this trend and protect Nigeria’s fragile democracy, urgent reforms are needed—both legal and institutional.
1. Amend the constitution to curb indiscriminate defections
Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution attempts to discourage defection, but its provisions are weak and rarely enforced. Clearer, stricter laws must be enacted to ensure that politicians cannot abandon the party that gave them their mandate without consequences.
2. Strengthen internal party democracy
Political parties must become more democratic in their internal processes. Until parties allow room for dissent, transparent primaries, and inclusive decision-making, aggrieved politicians will continue to defect at the first sign of defeat.
3. Empower the judiciary and electoral commission
Nigeria’s judiciary and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be insulated from political pressure. Only a truly independent electoral system can ensure free, fair, and credible elections—and limit the incentive to defect as a survival strategy.
4. Support civil society and media accountability
The media and civil society organisations must continue to highlight the dangers of opportunistic defections. Public pressure is a powerful force. When citizens demand accountability and clarity, politicians begin to tread more carefully.
Conclusion: A crossroads for Nigerian democracy
The current wave of defections is not just a political tactic—it is a test of Nigeria’s democratic maturity. Will Nigeria evolve into a democracy governed by ideas, institutions, and the rule of law? Or will it remain a system where power trumps principle, and loyalty to the ruling party is the ultimate currency?
If Nigeria is to move forward, this defection culture must be challenged head-on. A democracy in which politicians have no ideological anchor, no accountability to their constituents, and no regard for the sanctity of the ballot is not sustainable.
Now more than ever, Nigerians must demand more. More integrity. More courage. More vision.
Because if everyone is in the ruling party, then who’s left to protect the republic?
Dr. Brian O. Reuben is the Executive Chairman of the Sixteenth Council
