Nigeria, May 5 -- Defections have seized political parties by the scruff of the neck. It is a phenomenon the Supreme Court once described as "painful, unconscionable and immoral" in a particular case 18 years ago. But none of the defections presently has been as seismic as Governor Sheriff Oborevwori's leading of a caravan of party bigwigs and lawmakers, last week, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He waffled as he tried to rationalise his action.

In December 2024, a member of the House of Representatives, Erhriatake Ibori-Suenu, daughter of James Ibori - a former governor and influential political figure in the state, had, along with four lawmakers of Labour Party's extraction, defect...