Nigerian Concord Newspaper
What is unfolding in the present Nigeria’s political terrain is more than a curious political development; it represents a troubling erosion of party ideology, political accountability and democratic integrity.
It is particularly disturbing that conduct capable of contradicting established party principles appears to be acquiring an alarming degree of political legitimacy, while the ideological foundations that should distinguish one party from another are increasingly relegated to the background.
Political boundaries have now become meaningless, accountability has lost its coordinates, and our democracy risks becoming a system in which political identity is determined not by principles or policy commitments, but by convenience and expediency.
This dangerous political trajectory resembles a malfunctioning control system in which the governing algorithms of party discipline, accountability and democratic ethics are overridden by conflicting commands and unchecked political manoeuvres.
The recent involvement of Governor Ademola Adeleke, of Accord Party and Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in campaign activities openly supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu(APC) re- election raises fundamental questions about party loyalty, ideological consistency and the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic system.
Governor Adeleke was seen during the inauguration of APC presidential campaign committee dancing with the exuberance of a masquerade (Ogoni), seemingly determined to demonstrate the full mechanics of its traditional dance to an enthusiastic audience. Although the spectacle may be entertaining, it also invites a broader examination of the political implications of cross-party participation in electoral campaigns.
If political parties are founded on distinct ideologies, policy commitments and governing philosophies, what meaning remains in party identity when their members openly advance the electoral interests of another party? What would happen if influential APC members openly did the same by campaigning openly for candidates of other political parties? This very obvious they have already been doing in some APC-controlled states.Would such conduct be regarded as legitimate cross-party cooperation, or would it raise concerns about party discipline, ideological consistency and accountability to party members and supporters?
My concern is not whether cross-party cooperation should be permitted in a democracy, but whether the language of “COALITION” is being used to legitimise political contradictions that weaken party discipline, confuse electorates and undermine the foundations of representative democracy.
Genuine coalition-building can encourage dialogue, compromise and national development; however, when political alliances become detached from ideological consistency and policy commitments, they risk blurring party boundaries and making it increasingly difficult for the naive voters to distinguish one party from another.
All of us should therefore beware of the “Idol of Coalition” when it elevates political convenience above principles and weakens the institutional safeguards of democracy. If this is left unchecked, this tendency could threaten our “Democratic Caesar”
The survival and credibility of Nigeria’s democracy depend not merely on political alliances or campaign spectacles, but on the preservation of party discipline, ideological clarity, political accountability and the electorate’s right to make informed choices based on identifiable principles and policy commitments.
May Nigeria succeed!
Ayenogun Kunle Davis
28/10/2026