Politics Without Conviction: When Power Is Stolen From The People And Loyalty Is Thrown Away
By Dr. Eugene Nweke
What happened in Kano is not politics as usual; it is a serious betrayal of the people’s mandate.
When elected leaders abandon the very platform that brought them to power, democracy itself is in breach .
Let us stop pretending that it’s well with democracy in Nigeria
What politicians call defection is, in plain language, abandonment of trust. Nigerians voted for a party, a symbol, and a promise—not for politicians to wake up and change sides when it suits them.
The law may permit defection under certain conditions, but legality and morality are two distinct scenarios . You can follow the letter of the law and still destroy its spirit. Democracy is built on trust, not loopholes.
When a governor, lawmakers, and council chairmen move en masse, the question must be asked: who owns the mandate—the people or the politicians? If votes truly belong to the people, then walking away from that mandate should carry consequences.
Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at this moment carries a heavy political price. A leader who cannot hold his house together cannot convincingly promise national stability. Loyalty that collapses this fast exposes weakness at the centre.
The NNPP was sold to Nigerians as a movement of discipline and difference. Today, that image is bleeding because of personal interest of an individual
Gov Abba Kabir Yusuf, the burden of moral legitimacy is upon you . You cannot campaign on one platform, win with it, discard it, and expect the people to clap for you . Power taken through one door and exited through another will always be questioned and eventually collapse
The greatest victims are the ordinary supporters—the traders, youths, and grassroots voters who defended these leaders with passion and faith.
Once again elected leaders are being reminded that in Nigerian politics, loyalty is demanded from the bottom but rarely returned from the top and it has consequences
This behaviour deepens voter anger and apathy. People begin to ask: why vote at all, if politicians can simply transfer our mandate like personal property
Politically, the consequences are clear. Parties without discipline die quickly. Leaders without loyal followers lose relevance. Alliances built on convenience collapse under pressure.
Legally safe or not, history keeps its own records. Court judgments may end, but public judgment does not. Betrayals have long memories, and elections have a way of revisiting unfinished moral debts.
Power gained without conviction is temporary. Mandates abused will be reclaimed—by the courts of law, by the ballot box, or by history itself.
Nigerians are watching!!, Nigerians are learning, and Nigerians are counting. What Governor Yusuf must realise is that betrayal of trust is dangerous and history beckons
Dr Eugene Nweke
Founding member of NNPP 2001
