
04/07/2025
Nigerian Politics Cannot Be Learnt In School
In a functioning democracy, political ideology serves as a compass—guiding parties, candidates, and policies toward a defined direction rooted in values, philosophy, and national vision. But in Nigeria, this compass is broken, if it ever existed at all. Nigerian politics has no clear ideology; instead, it is controlled by interests—personal, ethnic, religious, and economic.
Political science students in universities study ideologies like conservatism, liberalism, socialism, and progressivism. They learn how parties in developed democracies align their policies with these philosophies. But in Nigeria, what happens on the field has little or nothing to do with classroom theories. Political loyalty shifts with the wind. Yesterday’s opposition becomes today’s ruling party. Defections happen overnight—not based on policy disagreements, but often as a means of survival or a shortcut to power.
This kind of politics cannot be learnt in school—it is mastered on the streets, in the corridors of power, in “consultations” with godfathers, and at the negotiation tables of vested interests.
There was a time in Nigeria when one could at least point to two broad camps: the so-called "progressives" and the "conservatives." Parties like the Action Group (AG), the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), and later the Alliance for Democracy (AD) projected a people-centered, welfare-based ideology. They talked about free education, healthcare, and infrastructure development. On the other side were the parties that aligned more with the status quo, preferring centralization and elite control.
But even those lines have been blurred, if not completely erased. Today, politicians move from one party to another with no shame or ideological justification. A candidate who lost a primary in Party A will cross over to Party B the next day, and campaign using the same manifesto they once criticized. That is not ideology—it is interest.
In today’s Nigeria, political parties are mere platforms—vehicles to capture power. They do not differ in economic strategy, foreign policy, education reform, or even anti-corruption posture. Manifestoes are copied, recycled, or ignored. What exists now is politics without colour, without moral distinction, and without philosophical clarity.
Political appointments, endorsements, and alliances are determined not by competence or ideology, but by who holds the leverage—tribal leaders, moneybags, religious blocs, or regional influencers. The youth are not groomed to become ideological torchbearers, but foot soldiers for hire during elections.
The implication of this ideology-free politics is dangerous: voters have no real choice. Elections become contests between personalities, not policies. Debates are about age, ethnicity, and religion—not about ideas or reform. This breeds disillusionment, voter apathy, and the normalization of mediocrity.
Unless there is a deliberate push toward value-driven leadership and ideological clarity, Nigeria will continue to recycle leaders with different names but the same interests.
In Nigeria, politics is no longer about what you stand for, but about what you stand to gain. It is interest-driven, not ideology-led. And until we return to politics of principles, policy, and purpose, the nation will keep dancing in circles—colourless, clueless, and compromised.
"When politics loses its ideology, the people lose their voice."
QUDUS TV