1. The endless “will-he, won’t-he” spectacle
Every few weeks some loudmouth Nigerian politician pops up prime-time, grandstanding that he might quit the PDP. First headline:
“There’s a very strong possibility that I’ll leave the PDP.”
Then
“My umbilical cord isn’t tied to the PDP.”
Cue the interviews, the threats, the sound-bites—as if he’s some earth-shattering force. Wait, isn’t he—a Nigerian politician? Next week you’ll see him shaking Tinubu’s hand and joining the APC (you know, the other one).
2. The PPP catch-22: person or principles?
I coined a simple epigram to explain this bullshit flow:
PPP = Principles—party—person
Not,
Person—party—principles
In today’s Nigeria, it’s inverted:
Person—whose megaphone is loudest?
Party—which cult of personality will boost my power?
Principles—buried six feet under, if they exist at all.
No wonder these Nigerian politicians care more about airtime and bone-picking than policy…
3. Case study: the perpetual interviewee
Meet “Mr. My Umbilical Cord”—articulate, eloquent, big-talking son of a motherfucker who hollers on every network about splitting from PDP. Threaten to leave, grab headlines, then co-opt the next power broker: rinse and repeat.
If he ever had principles, they died somewhere between “My umbilical cord isn’t tied to…” and “Hi, Mr. Tinubu, I’m in your satanic party now.”
4. A counter-example: Republicans who stay put
Contrast America’s MAGA saga: Trump claims the GOP as some “Trump Party,” yet principled Republicans like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger stay in the party. They don’t decamp—they fight from within, anchored to principles first.
They don’t run off to the “other side” and whichever group appear more powerful… No, they stick with the party’s core values (rule of law, constitutional norms, whatever), even when a megalomaniac temporarily hijacked the brand.
5. Re-ordering our priorities
If you give a damn about a just society, reverse the Nigerian PPP:
Principles: define the values you care about—rule of law, accountability, equality before the law, human dignity.
Party: find (or build) the organization that upholds those principles—no compromises.
Person: serve or lead within that party, but remember: it’s not about you.
If no existing party champions your principles, form one. Gather like-minded people. Defend the credo—win or lose elections, never abandon the P-word, the very first one.
6. Stop chasing power, start upholding principles
Next time you see that motherfucker on TV, threatening to decamp, remember:
He’s not asking “Does this party still reflect justice?”
He’s asking “What’s in it for me?”
Until we insist on principles → party → person, we’ll keep electing self-serving clowns who talk a good game, then sell their votes for a ministerial slot. The cabal!
If you believe in a just society, start with principles. Quit following the screaming megaphones—build the party that carries your values, then let the right person lead.
That’s how we change the game. Not by swapping PDP for APC or other, but by refusing to play their bullshit power-grab any longer.