In the world of politics, it’s not uncommon for politicians to leave their parties and join others. Senator Adams Oshiomhole recently addressed this issue, suggesting that the best person to explain why people switch political parties is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku, who was once the vice president of Nigeria, made headlines when he left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) while still holding office. This move surprised many, and it raises the question of why politicians change their party affiliations, even at the highest levels.

Oshiomhole, a politician from Edo State, was speaking on Channels Television when he discussed the issue of politicians defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He pointed out that it was a surprising turn of events when the governor of Delta State joined the APC, considering the political landscape. Oshiomhole shared his own experience as a former governor, explaining that it’s possible to win elections even without being a member of the APC. He mentioned that in the past, he won elections as an opposition candidate, despite facing challenges like the alleged rigging of votes by the PDP in 2007.

According to Oshiomhole, when political parties face internal problems, it can become difficult for politicians to focus on the needs of the state. He believes that when a party is struggling, the time that should be spent on governing is often taken up by party issues, which might lead some to consider leaving their party and moving to a more stable one.

One of the key points Oshiomhole made was about Atiku’s own defection from the PDP. Atiku was the first major Nigerian political figure to switch parties in such a dramatic way. He left the PDP while serving as vice president and joined the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which eventually became part of the APC. Oshiomhole questioned whether Atiku was forced into this decision by Bola Tinubu, the leader of the ACN at the time, pointing out that Tinubu, who held no government position at the time, had no power to force Atiku to leave the PDP.

Reflecting on his own time in the ACN, Oshiomhole explained that Atiku had left the PDP under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s leadership to seek the ACN’s presidential ticket. He ran for president but later returned to the PDP to challenge Goodluck Jonathan for the presidency. After losing the election, Atiku made yet another move, returning to the APC to contest the primaries against Muhammadu Buhari.

Oshiomhole concluded by saying that Atiku Abubakar is the best person to write a book on why politicians change parties. Given his own history of moving from one party to another, Atiku’s experience makes him uniquely qualified to offer insights on this common practice in Nigerian politics.