Political Prostitution: The Bane Of Nigeria’s Politics
Since 1914 (when the Northern and Southern Protectorate) were fused-together to form a country (from many nations and races), and it was named by Lord Lugard's girlfriend (they were not formally married then) Flora, as Nigeria (from Niger River and (its) Area); political parties have come and many have gone too. Notably though, is that the name Niger (as the great river in its territory was earlier named by Colonialists) came from a derogating Latin word for blacks: “Nigger”; and after this said great river that traverses West Africa was sighted and “boated-on” (let's not forget that this river has existed from eternity and had had its local name) by English Explorers—especially Mungo Park and The Lander Brothers, they smartly removed one “g” from the “Nigger” and named (actually re-named) it Niger River. Therefore, it is from this great river as named and its (surrounding) area (in tripod outlook with river Benue) that our country got its famous name: Nigeria! Now let's get back to our main issue (after this little factual history) as it concerns this treatise.
Indeed, many Political Parties have risen (been formed) and falling (extinct) on Nigeria's “Political Party Formation and Liquidation Chess-Board”. To say the least, thousands of Political Parties that lacked ideological direction have come and gone. The worst is that many politicians who also lacked ideological mentalities and sensibilities have also risen, cross-carpeted and decamped (the popular refrain) to other political parties of fair-weather friends. Many of them can then be best regarded and referred-to as “Political Prostitutes” because of their lack of total-commitment to remain in their “first political parties” (which when situations were okay with them they operated as high profile members only to jump-ship when the fortunes of their “former political parties” were waning, waned/actually declined).
Furthermore, since Nigeria's Political Independence (are we economically independent yet?) from Britain in 1960, there has been numerous (indeed countless) Political Parties that have been formed (which have existed and which have died) on the Political Sub-Structure of the nation. There have been mergers and coalitions, but all of them also lacked ideological bent and never existed in the first place to uplift the welfare of the generality of Nigerians. Indeed, what concerns all; they did not make their concern. Too bad!
When Political Parties are ideological: Liberal/Welfarist; Conservative; Communist/Socialist; Nazi/Fascist; etc, they perform accordingly to either uplift their societies (like in Anglo-Saxon and Western Democracies), or destroy them (as Nazism Hitler did to Germany, Fascism under Mussolini in Italy and as Communism did to the defunct Soviet Union). The Nigerian variant called Political Parties are depraved of ideology and therefore never performs either-way. Individuals in them (who are their members) also lack sense of ideology and that is why they switch political parties—jumping from one political party to the other, and also forming new ones and dumping them with the same rapidity and alacrity.
Cross-carpeting and decamping from one political party to the other cannot be called any other thing than: “Political Prostitution”! Political Prostitution by many of the so-called Politicians in Nigeria, is mainly done to better their financial stocks (accumulating as much as they can to the detriment of the down-trodden masses and electorates of Nigeria), or to hype their status and political resumes in the murky “political stratosphere” that seems to exist in the country continually.
However, there can only be three kinds of political parties and political-individuals (who are actually true politicians for mankind) in modern times (and these have bettered and benefitted Western Democracies and societies which we copy-cat from). They are: One to the Right (Conservatives and therefore The Realist); one to the left (liberal/Welfarists and therefore The Idealists); and the ones in or on the Centre (Centrist: either Centre-right or Centre-left and therefore regarded in many political climes as Social Democrats etc. in their name coinages). The fourth (the extreme of the extreme) are the Communist/Socialist (but their fortune is fast declining or depleting in modern political calculations). Furthermore, and to say the least, human beings attitudinally (albeit it politically), can also be grouped into three too: those who are for or against any societal issue/event/position/direction; and those who are neither here or there (the fence-sitters and who could be rightly called The Centrists).
Therefore, at this point, it would be nice to define the key words that relates to this topic under our pen-exploration and explanation. The words are: Politics and Political Parties (and therefore having Politicians as members in them); Prostitution; and Bane. Also, it would be nice to highlight the meaning of modern political ideologies as encapsulated in Conservatism, Liberalism/Welfarism and Centrism (please forgive our inability to go further herein to define Communism, Socialism, Nazism and Fascism).
The word Politics, has been variously defined, but Harold Lasswell, as a Political Scientist, has been the most quoted scholar who defined Politics as: “who gets what, how and when” (and this writer adds: and “where”). Others have defined it as: “Authoritative allocation of resources”; and “Game of numbers where the majority win and have their way (to formulate and implement policies to uplift society), while the minority are allowed to have their say (only and without hindrances)”. Furthermore, this writer adds to the definition of Politics, as: “A purposeful and useful mechanism designed by society to elevate the general good of all its' people”. Political Parties are “Congregations of those who have like minds on Politics, and who work hard to win elections and having won these elections, enjoy the perquisites of power and also better their societies”.
Prostitution means: Work of prostitutes. And a prostitute is a woman who offers her body to promiscuous sexual intercourse, especially for payment or as religious rite; man who undertakes sexual actions for payment; unworthily put to wrong use; to debase (cherished and established values); etc.
Bane means: cause of ruin or trouble/woe.
Conservatism means: To hold beliefs and to act on principles to conserve; Be averse to rapid changes, and always disposed to maintain existing institutions; and to promote individual enterprise (as against government-funded and run ones).
Welfarism means: a system whereby the government provides money, free medical care, etc. for people who are unemployed, ill or too old to work (as social security).
Centrism means: To have and wanting to sustain political beliefs that are not extreme (rightist or leftist) but moderate.
Therefore, after these definitions, it would then be easy to figure-out and know whether a politician (as a registered member of a political party) is a political ideologue or not. And those who jump/decamp from one contrasting/contending political party to the (opposite) one or others, can therefore be regarded rightly, as those debasing political principles and indeed unworthily putting to wrong use the essence of politics and political parties; and consequently can be tagged as “Political Prostitutes” (who are actually causing trouble to Nigerian politics, and also, fermenting a lot of its (current) political woes).
To say least, the spate of Political cross-carpeting of individual politicians and their decamping from one political party to the other in Nigeria is indeed worrying. Meanwhile, while they are continually doing this, political principles are twisted therein and thereafter; and all these acts question the political maturity of Nigerian Politicians. Many a time, their reasons for moving from one political party to the other is nothing but pecuniary—for financial and personal gains (that can be equated to the methodology employed by prostitutes). Indeed, principles are murdered on the altar, for personal gains, ego (pride), status-seeking and other kinds of payments that are mainly illicit. Are these acts not Political-prostitution then? If it is not, what is it? By frequently doing this, are Nigerian politicians not causing troubles and unimaginable woes for the polity, politics and political parties in Nigeria? The answer is for you to figure-out my friend! Make your own conclusions—which, when summed-up with that of others, will surely be the right answer.
Written by Ejike Kingsley Osuji.
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