A professor of political science at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Frank-Collins Okafor, has called for a quick check against party defection in Nigeria.

Mr Okafor made the call in an interview in Awka on Thursday while noting the negative obvious implications of defection.

Mr Okafor, the Faculty of Social Sciences dean, urged authorities involved in managing political affairs and the electioneering process to seek a quick end to the political rascality.

He described the defection as throwing a spanner in developing and growing the nation’s economic, social, and political life.

He said there was an urgent need to nip the trend before it became a degenerative trend acceptable in Nigerian politics.

Mr Okafor said the implication of party defection on national development is obvious as it leads to political instability of the system as politicians jump from one party to the other at their caprices.

He lamented that such acts place the sustainability of the democratic system at a higher risk.

Mr Okafor said defection stultifies the development of viable political culture in the system as inconsistencies become the attitudinal organising principles of politicians and the nation.

He said the trend leads to policy inconsistencies as politicians support different political positions and policies of their parties as they jump from one part to another.

Mr Okafor said the act makes politicians lose focus on quality legislation and governance as they may support a particular party policy today and oppose it tomorrow as soon as defection is achieved.

According to him, defection works against internal political discipline and, by extension, national political discipline as politicians defect to evade party and national sanctions.

“Defection aids and sustains corruption in the system as politicians defect to ruling parties to evade persecution and justice. It kills proper development and maturity of party politics and strong opposition politics in a system.

“It can lead to bad policies as no strong opposition or policy criticisms or alternatives are preferred before the passage of bills and making of laws,” he said.

Mr Okafor said that the development of strong party ideologies is completely eroded, which leads to faulty leadership recruitment processes through the political party system.

However, he commended the nation’s political development so far, stating that there is room for improvement in sectors like education, health, and other basic amenities.

(NAN)