Cross Carpeting in Nigerian Politics: Some Legal and Moral Issues Generated

Abstract

Nigerian democracy has witnessed series of indiscriminate political defections, with politicians crisscrossing from one political party to another. This discourse ascertained that there is nothing wrong with cross carpeting, simpliciter, if predicated upon well articulated principles and unimpeachable political ideology. In fact, cross carpeting—within certain precincts—is a fundamental and constitutional right. Nevertheless, with the current trend of cross carpeting being enacted in the Nigerian political landscape, principles, scruples, ideology, and the like, have all been jettisoned for greed, self interest, and opportunism. The study established that though the legality of the current Nigerian species of cross carpeting may be entrenched, the morality is not. Consequently, the study avers that the current spate of cross carpeting, that has become commonplace, contradicts the sanctity of religious propositions; whittles down the respected concept of trust; reveals the abject dearth of political ideology; and impinges the youth, posterity, and entire society negatively. This subject is considered important because when morality is lost, in a society like Nigeria, then the fabrics of the law and its enforceability are grossly weakened.