Abstract
Political party defection has become an increasingly frequent and unsettling feature of Nigeria’s democratic evolution. Although defections are not exclusive to Nigeria, the frequency, timing, and underlying motivations in the Nigerian context raise serious questions about the resilience of political institutions and the quality of political engagement. This paper critically examines the current wave of defections across Nigeria’s political spectrum, highlighting their implications for democratic stability and effective governance. It argues that these defections are symptomatic of deeper, systemic structural problems, including the intense struggle for control of state power and public resources, the absence of ideological commitment among political actors, the fragility of party structures, and an intensely transactional political culture. The paper calls for comprehensive legal, institutional, and civic reforms aimed at curbing opportunistic party defections and fostering a more principled and stable democratic environment. To effectively analyze the phenomenon in Nigeria, the paper employs a hybrid theoretical approach that combines Rational Choice Theory and Elite Theory, both of which offer valuable insights into the motivations of political actors and the structure of power within the political system.