Politics in Nigeria has become a river where many politicians wash yesterday’s sins and emerge wearing tomorrow’s white robes. They change parties, slogans, and allies, yet too often their methods remain the same. The uniform changes. The soldier does not.
Truth needs no decoration. A politician who leaves a failed idea for a better one deserves respect. A politician who changes only a party while carrying the same habits deserves questions. Accountability is the true test of transformation.
Yet not every politician changes parties. Some remain in the same party for years but gradually turn it into a closed circle where loyalty is rewarded above competence, dissent is punished, and public interest is pushed aside. The party begins to resemble a private empire instead of a democratic institution. Decisions are made by a powerful few, while ordinary members become spectators in an organisation that was meant to belong to everyone.
The greatest threat to democracy is not disagreement. It is forgetfulness. Citizens are asked to erase broken promises, failed policies, and abandoned manifestos as every election brings another fresh beginning. A nation that forgets yesterday will keep voting for yesterday.
Nigeria does not suffer from a lack of political rebirth. It suffers from a lack of political character. Integrity is not measured by the colour of a party flag. It is measured by a lifetime of honest service.
A tree painted green does not become young. A snake that sheds its skin remains a snake if its nature never changes. In the same way, political rebirth without moral change is only a change of clothes.
The future will not be shaped by politicians who perfect the art of reinvention. It will be shaped by citizens who remember, question, and demand results. Democracy grows stronger when deeds speak louder than speeches, and when public service becomes a duty instead of a performance.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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