Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state is obviously angry with Nigerian politicians who are in the habit of crossing from one political party to another simply in search of positions, the attitude he said would not make Nigeria grow.
“If we (politicians) continue to practice politics in that manner, I do not think that we can grow. We will not get anywhere because there is no philosophy behind what we do. We are just operating like pendulum. If it does not work this way, we will move this way. That is not good.”
Governor Suswam, who spoke to newsmen today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was particularly referring to the former minister from his state who recently defected from PDP to opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Suswam described Nigeria politics as “rather funny,” saying that politicians have no principles and ideologies.
“They just go into politics for what they can get. I find that very unfortunate. The Minister in question has been a great beneficiary of the PDP.” He said that PDP held what he called the most transparent primary in Benue state which is why no one is complaining about the primaries.
He said that some politicians just want position and that once they do not get it, they swing.
“So, I find that very unfortunate. That is why we are having the problem we are having with politics in Nigeria.
“The other parties just wait for the other parties to conduct primaries so that when they have problem, they will just take them in.
“If they don’t get nomination in PDP, they will move to APC and if they do not get in APC, they will move to Labour Party, etc.
“I think that instead of us growing our democracy, we cannot go anywhere with this kind of politics.
They just want position not to serve but for selfish reasons. If you want to serve, if you do not get it today you will wait for the next time.”
Governor Suswam said that this kind of politics come out of desperation for power, adding that it is out of desperation that they move from one party to another.
“If you are not desperate, then what is it. You have been a Senator before. Later you became a Minister. You have been Auditor and you have been everything. Why will you defect from the party that has done so much for you? It is because they are desperate for power for selfish reasons not to serve the people. With this trend, I don’t think that politically, we will grow in this country.”
[myad]
