The politics of cross-carpeting: A sad chapter in our democratic journey

January 20, 2026

There is an unmistakable sense that things are gradually falling apart for some of our elected leaders, men who once stood before the people, sought their trust, and obtained their mandate under daring, and sometimes perilous, political conditions. Today, however, many of these same leaders appear to have resolved that personal survival and political self-preservation must supersede the collective good of the electorate that freely entrusted them with power.

The once-confident assurances of “guaranteed return tickets” have begun to wobble, if not completely collapse. Carefully choreographed, city-wide defection ceremonies, once trumpeted with fanfare, now suffer endless postponements, each delay explained away by one flimsy excuse or another. The initial bravado has thinned, replaced by hesitation, anxiety, and growing uncertainty. Confidence has given way to confusion.

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One cannot help but ask: were some of these political actors, particularly those defecting from opposition platforms like the PDP, so intoxicated by media hype and sycophantic praise that they forgot a basic rule of politics? Politics, like chess, is not played on impulse. It demands patience, strategy, negotiation, and a clear understanding of one’s strengths, one’s opponent’s weaknesses, and the true value of the bargaining chips on the table. Pawns are not moved recklessly, nor are alliances entered blindly, at least not by serious players.

History offers us sobering lessons. We have seen this movie before. The mass defections of 2013–2014 that weakened the PDP and strengthened the APC reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape, but not without consequences. Some defectors thrived temporarily; others were politically diminished, discarded, or rendered irrelevant once their utility expired. Political history, both in Nigeria and elsewhere, teaches us that parties do not absorb defectors out of charity. Interests are negotiated, concessions demanded, and loyalty is always suspect.

Today, many of these defectors suddenly appear reluctant, dragging their feet, uneasy with the terms and conditions under which they are to be “welcomed” into their new political homes. They now confront the harsh reality that political relevance cannot be transferred wholesale, and that structures built over years cannot simply be imported overnight. It is pitiful, but hardly surprising.

Most troubling is the growing disconnect between these leaders and the people they claim to represent. The electorate is neither consulted nor carried along. Votes now appear to be treated as expendable, useful only during elections, irrelevant thereafter. Power has been arrogated to a single centre, almost deified, as though Nigeria’s complex democracy can or should revolve around one man. This dangerous concentration of political power insults both our constitution and our collective intelligence.

This moment marks a new low in our democratic experience. Just when one would expect political maturity, ideological clarity, and respect for the popular will, we are confronted instead with regression, driven not by national interest, but by personal ambition and elite self-aggrandisement. It is a politics of convenience, not conviction.

Yet, despair must not be our response.
We will not be deterred. We will not be discouraged. We will continue to push, steadily and unapologetically, for a more enlightened, people-centred, and accountable democratic Nigeria. We owe this not only to ourselves, but to future generations. And when we finally exit the stage of history, may it be said that we stood on the side of principle, resisted political opportunism, and left behind footprints worthy of remembrance in the sands of time.

Leader Leneke is a Lawyer and writes from Borrong in Demsa LGA of Adamawa State where he carries out his charge and bail business.