He urged authorities responsible for managing political affairs and the electoral process to promptly tackle the issue of defections, considering it a hindrance to the nation’s economic, social, and political progress.
Emphasising the importance of curbing this trend before it becomes an ingrained practice in Nigerian politics, he urged proactive steps to mitigate its negative impact.
Okafor highlighted the harmful consequences of party defection on national development, specifically pointing out the political instability resulting from politicians frequently changing parties at their convenience. He emphasised that such actions pose a threat to the stability of the democratic system.
Expressing concern, he lamented that defection hinders the development of a robust political culture as inconsistency becomes a norm among politicians and within the nation.
According to Professor Okafor, this constant switching of affiliations leads to policy inconsistencies, where politicians align themselves with different policies based on their party alliances at any given time.
He stressed how this behaviour hampers effective legislation and governance, with politicians often supporting or opposing policies solely based on their party allegiance at the time.
The Professor noted that party defection undermines internal and national political discipline, as politicians resort to defection to evade party and national repercussions.
“Defection aids and sustains corruption in the system as politicians defect to ruling parties to evade persecution and justice. It impedes the proper development and maturity of party politics and creates strong opposition in the system. This lack of a robust opposition could lead to the passage of poorly scrutinised bills and laws,” he added.
