By Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi
In any vibrant democracy, it is both a right and a strategic choice for politicians to seek greener political pastures if such moves genuinely enhance their ability to serve their people and fulfill their visions. Political realignments are not, by themselves, inherently bad. They are a recognized feature of evolving democracies worldwide. However, in Nigeria, the increasing phenomenon of political defection, what I call “SIM-card politics” because of its ease and frequency, has mostly descended into a shameful exercise of personal ambition over public service.
It is the responsibility of the people, especially the constituency to judge whether a defection represents a necessary shift towards better governance or a selfish quest for political survival and relevance. Sadly, experience shows that the majority of Nigerian political defections are the latter: an opportunistic scramble for power, position, and access to resources, not service to the people.
Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor and minister, once said: “Nigerians don’t react to anything. Time and again, we have witnessed the painful truth in that statement. Politicians who swore solemn oaths to uphold party values and promises to the electorate have defected without shame, yet the masses react with either silence or misguided celebration.
It is inconceivable that in any healthy democracy, a public officeholder who openly declared with their life and integrity to remain loyal to a political platform, the very vehicle that brought them to the limelight, can break that oath with fanfare, and the same constituents applaud rather than demand accountability. This situation vividly brings to mind the story of Alexander the Great and the brave soldier. As history tells, there was once a courageous man who fought heroically for his people but later faced death punishment from the Greek occupation Army. Alexander himself, being a brave soldier who values bravery and sacrifice to his people tried multiple times to intervene, seeking someone, anyone who would help pay the man’s reparation and save his life. Yet, no one stepped forward. Disillusioned, Alexander grew furious and approved the death sentence for the foolishness of the soldier to risk everything for a populace that failed to value sacrifice, loyalty, and bravery.
In Nigeria today, how many politicians, even those with the rare courage to speak truth to power or fight for reforms, are celebrated or defended by the people they strive to serve? How many citizens show genuine outrage when their trust is betrayed? The growing pattern of mass indifference encourages political actors to switch allegiances at will, knowing there will be no meaningful consequences.
The Betrayal of Electoral Mandates in Nigeria has taken an alarming frequency and style. Today we have many so-called “youth-friendly” politicians who campaigned on progressive platforms but once elected, quickly abandoned their party’s ideals or even defected altogether. Some who were elected under the banner of youth activism, promising reforms, transparency, and integrity have quietly merged into the old political order, defending the very systems they once denounced. Yet, much of the electorate shrugs, jokes about it, or even rationalizes the betrayal. The pattern is simple: when leaders see that the people tolerate or excuse disloyalty, integrity becomes an expendable commodity.
The analogy of a SIM card is best fitting in today’s Nigeria where party loyalty has become as disposable as switching mobile networks for a better deal. Politicians migrate not based on ideological disagreements, but based on calculations of personal gain where power is most likely to be secured or maintained and immune from EFCC. The public spectacle of decamping ceremonies, replete with pomp and cheering crowds, underscores how deep the rot has sunk. In serious democracies, a politician defecting would be met with probing questions, critical media coverage, town hall interrogations, and sometimes political death at the ballot box. In Nigeria, defections are celebrated with rented crowds, lavish welcome parties, and strategic political appointments. This culture must change and the change must be led by the masses.
Until Nigerians hold their leaders accountable for defections and betrayals, not just at the polls, but every day in conversations, on social media, in places of worship, and community meetings — nothing will change. The electorate must start asking hard questions: Why did you defect? What promises are you abandoning? How does this move serve your constituents? Should we trust you again?
Political defection should not be criminalized, but it must come at a cost when it is done for selfish reasons. Constituents must learn to demand resignations, initiate recalls, withhold support, and actively defend the sanctity of their mandates. It is no longer enough to blame the political class alone. The masses must share in the blame if they remain passive in the face of political betrayal. The value of democracy is not just in voting once every four years; it is in constant vigilance, active citizenship, and the courage to demand better.
Otherwise, Nigeria should brace for more years of SIM-card politics endless swapping of parties, and endless betrayal of trust while the people, as Alexander the Great once lamented, stand by unbothered, celebrating those who betray them. In the end, the real tragedy will not be the treachery of politicians, but the silent complicity of the masses.
Hon. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi is a former Senatorial Candidate for Delta North, former European Continental Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Professional Network (NIDO), and currently serves as the Deputy National Chairman (Diaspora Engagement) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
