Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said that the frequent defection of politicians across parties in Nigeria is due to a lack of genuine political ideology in the country’s political system. He recently revealed that the absence of ideological distinction among political parties is one of the major weaknesses of Nigerian politics.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Media and Chief Press Secretary, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Makinde had his say at the public presentation of a book titled “Omituntun’s Political Ideology of Governor Seyi Makinde” held at the State Local Government Staff Training School, Secretariat, Ibadan.
According to him, the fact that Nigerian political parties are almost indistinguishable makes it very straightforward for politicians to move from one party to another.
He stated that if there was a philosophical difference guiding our parties, it’ll be much more difficult to ditch one gathering for another.
“One of the major challenges of our politics is that there is no real ideological foundation.
Our parties are almost indistinguishable, which is why politicians find it so easy to cross from one to another — today PDP, tomorrow APC, next week SDP — because there is no philosophical difference guiding them,” he said.
Sulaimon Olanrewaju further noted that Seyi Makinde’s consistent policies and governance style reflect a clear philosophy that sets him apart from other leaders.
He concluded by saying that the Oyo State Governor will always be motivated to deliver tangible progress to his people rather than pursue personal or political gain.
“Governor Makinde’s approach to governance is guided by clear principles and predictable actions — that’s what forms an ideology.
In the U.S., you know where Republicans and Democrats stand, but here, it’s often hard to tell what a politician represents. The governor seeks to change that by making politics about impact, not power.
Sometimes those who create change do not immediately realise their influence. Yet, Governor Makinde’s leadership has reshaped the meaning of governance in this state,” he added.
