ASABA/Nigeria: Political loyalty should not become a barrier to personal ambition, investigative journalist and National President of the Citizens Quest for Truth Initiative, Chief Obiaruko Christie Ndukwe, has argued as political alignments begin to take shape ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ndukwe made the submission in a recent Facebook post in which she questioned the tendency to condemn politicians and supporters who decide to change their political affiliations or pursue different paths from those they previously followed.
Her argument was that political relationships should provide room for growth rather than leave supporters permanently dependent on the leaders they have backed.
“The whole essence of being a leader is to get to the top and contribute your quota to nation building as well as upgrade your followers to the top and watch them do better, and not to keep them at the lower rung of the ladder as permanent cheerleaders who are fed with occasional crumbs,” she wrote.
Ndukwe said supporters could remain loyal to their political leaders without surrendering their right to aspire to positions of greater influence.
She argued that political followers, like their leaders, have ambitions and should be allowed to pursue opportunities that align with their convictions.
Her position comes against the backdrop of renewed political movements and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with politicians and their supporters repositioning themselves across different political platforms.
Ndukwe also pointed to what she described as a double standard in political relationships, noting that leaders have frequently changed political camps without necessarily seeking the consent of those who supported them.
She questioned why followers should then be expected to remain bound to a political arrangement when their leaders have chosen to change direction.
“No! Not everyone would continue on this route,” she said.
According to her, some individuals would rather take the risk of pursuing a different political path than remain in an arrangement they no longer consider suitable.
“There are those who have courage to take a chance and sometimes, they succeed when they do things differently,” she added.
Ndukwe further challenged the practice of describing people who change political allegiance as “hungry” or “betrayers”, arguing that political decisions can be driven by several considerations.
She urged political actors and their supporters to be cautious about passing judgment on those who make different choices, asking critics to consider whether they themselves had always acted solely out of principle throughout their political careers.
“Before you come to the post to defend or condemn anyone, make sure you have never been led by hunger or been a betrayer somewhere,” she said.
She also criticised what she described as emotional blackmail in political discourse, saying individuals should be permitted to make choices about their political future without being subjected to unnecessary condemnation.
Ndukwe illustrated the point with the Igbo saying, “Mgbe onye tetara n’ura bụ ụtụtụ ya,” which she interpreted to mean that a person’s morning begins whenever they wake up.
For her, the proverb underscores the idea that people can arrive at political decisions at different stages of their lives and should not necessarily be condemned because their choices differ from those of others.
She concluded that political motivations were not always straightforward, saying some people could be motivated by ambition, anger or other personal considerations rather than financial inducement.
“Lastly, not everyone is led by hunger. Some are led by anger while some are led by ambition. In all, let the eagle perch and let the kite perch,” she said.
Ndukwe’s comments add to the broader political conversation ahead of 2027, when the movement of politicians and supporters between political platforms is expected to remain a significant feature of Nigeria’s electoral landscape.
