Why Nigerian Politicians Switch Parties Easily — Baba Yusuf Explains

Baba Yusuf, a political strategist and Group CEO of Global Investment and Trade Company, has explained why Nigerian politicians frequently switch political parties, saying personal interest and access to power remain the major drivers of defections.

Yusuf said the habit of moving from one party to another is deeply rooted in the political culture of the country, where many politicians prioritise benefits over ideology, loyalty, or long-term party building.

Speaking on the issue, he noted that most politicians join politics with self-serving intentions, making it easy for them to abandon their parties once power changes hands.

According to him, the focus of many politicians is what he described as “stomach infrastructure,” a situation where political alignment is based on personal gain rather than public service.

He said, “Their idea of joining politics in the first place is about stomach infrastructure. The same way they are moving to the APC is how they moved to the PDP when the PDP was in power.”

Yusuf explained that politicians often defect to the ruling party because it offers easier access to influence, appointments, and political survival, especially for those unwilling to endure opposition politics.

He also expressed the view that the Peoples Democratic Party is losing relevance, describing it as a party gradually winding down due to internal weaknesses and the general behaviour of Nigerian politicians.

He said, “I know PDP people don’t want to hear this, but the party is basically winding down. Given the political trend in Nigeria and the political disposition and character of Nigerian politicians.”

While acknowledging the role of the ruling party in attracting defectors, Yusuf stressed that such dominance is not unusual in Nigeria’s political history.

He pointed out that similar mass defections occurred in the past when the PDP controlled the federal government, noting that politicians simply follow where power is concentrated.

According to him, “Suffice to say that, yes, the ruling party is playing a game to ensure it is basically running all over the place, but historical antecedents show that this is the trend, and that’s why I call it a trend.”

Yusuf recalled that during the peak of PDP’s dominance, the party controlled a large number of states, a period that also witnessed widespread defections across the political landscape.

He concluded that party-switching in Nigeria is less about ideology and more about the character and disposition of politicians who prioritise relevance and personal advantage.

The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.