Ideology, in simple terms, is what you believe in. It is the soul of a political party. Belonging to a party should mean you understand its philosophy, agree with its worldview, and are ready to align your actions with its principles. That is the foundation of party politics. Belief must come before ambition.
Now let us be serious.
What happens when a politician changes party? In theory, it should follow deep reflection. It should mean, I no longer believe in this ideology and I have found another that truly represents my values. That is fair and defensible.
But then comes the Nigerian version.
When a politician moves from Party A to Party B, then to Party C, then back to Party A, and is already warming up for Party D, a simple question must be asked. Which ideology exactly is he serving? Or better still, does ideology even matter anymore?
Logic tells us that if political parties have different ideologies, then switching parties means switching beliefs. Therefore, a politician who has changed three or four parties must either be an intellectual wonder with multiple ideologies living comfortably in one mind, or someone whose only consistent ideology is personal ambition.
Sarcasm aside, this pattern is dangerous to democracy.
If politicians change parties as easily as they change clothes, then political parties become empty platforms, elections lose meaning, and citizens are reduced to spectators in a game of musical chairs. There is no accountability, no consistency, and no moral compass. There is only movement.
But perhaps we have misunderstood them.
Maybe politicians who change parties frequently are simply more ideologically enlightened than the rest of us. Maybe they possess the rare ability to believe in everything and nothing at the same time. If that is the case, then awards should be created.
On that note, Atiku Abubakar should be crowned the man with the highest number of ideologies, closely followed by Obi. These are not ordinary politicians. They are ideological athletes, sprinting across belief systems without stopping to breathe. Sarcasm fully intended.
However, the issue is far too serious to laugh away.
This is why political parties must begin to screen people properly before accepting them into their folds. Especially those who have openly criticised, demonised, or insulted the party and its leadership in the past. A party that lacks memory has no future. Ideology cannot be built by recycling yesterday’s enemies into today’s heroes overnight.
Enough of political prostitution. Enough of rewarding political prostitutes with juicy appointments simply because they can defect at the right time. Loyalty should count for something. Loyal party members who stayed, endured, defended the party in difficult times, and built its structures must be rewarded handsomely.
If the current trend persists, Nigeria will soon have fewer ideologues and more political hustlers. Politics will become a joke, parties will stand for nothing, and elections will be reduced to transactions.
Democracy cannot survive without ideological discipline. When everything is negotiable, nothing is meaningful.
By Bola Babarinde, South Africa
