By Chief Patrick Eholor
Elizabeth Ativie’s repeated party switching, known as cross-carpeting, is nothing new in Nigerian politics.
In 2010 she joined the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); in 2011 she switched allegiance to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); in 2014 she defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and served as Edo State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development.
However, her recent ascension to the chairperson of the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party(LP), despite her history of political promiscuity, should be highly condemned. Ativie’s pattern of jumping ship from one party to another, often in pursuit of personal gain, raises serious questions about her loyalty and commitment to the principles of any political party she aligns herself with.
Her appointment as chairperson of the Edo State chapter of the LP could undermine the party’s credibility and message of change. Ativie’s reputation for political opportunism runs counter to the LP’s stated goal of building a more transparent and accountable political system.
Ativie’s political opportunism also runs the risk of damaging the LP’s reputation among potential voters. Her appointment is a sign that the party is more interested in attracting high-profile politicians than advancing its core principles.
Moreover, the LP’s willingness to welcome a politician with Ativie’s history of party switching could signal that LP is vulnerable to the kind of political manipulation that it has long decried.
Ativie’s latest move may also have broader implications for the political landscape in Edo State and beyond. If other politicians follow her lead and switch parties to seek personal gain, the ability of any political party to stand for something larger than the ambitions of individual politicians will be called into question.
Furthermore, Ativie’s cross-carpeting raises concerns about the quality of political representation in the state. If politicians like Ativie are more interested in their own self-aggrandizement than the needs of their constituents, the democratic process is likely to suffer.
Chief Patrick Osagie Eholor(aka Ultimate Equal) is the Director of Contact and Mobilization of the Labour Party (LP) in the Diaspora
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