Enough Of Empty Politics!” – Natasha Demands Overhaul Of Party Systems

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has expressed concern over the absence of ideological direction in Nigeria’s political parties, warning that this trend is eroding the foundation of the nation’s democracy.

Appearing on a Sunday programme on AIT, the senator criticized the state of political parties in Nigeria, stating that many have become mere vehicles for contesting elections, rather than institutions built on values and long-term vision.

“Today, can you really say who belongs to APC, PDP, or Labour Party? There’s no distinct party ideology anymore,” she said.

Senator Natasha emphasized that this ideological vacuum has led to a wave of political defections, with politicians frequently switching parties for self-serving reasons.

“People hop from one party to another purely out of personal interest. That’s not how it’s supposed to be,” she added.

She called on party leaders nationwide to return to their party’s founding values and work towards building enduring party structures, both at the grassroots and national levels.

“As we strengthen our parties locally and nationally, we must define our ideologies. Once that’s done, politicians won’t decamp at every slight provocation,” she explained.

Using her own experience as an example, Natasha pointed out that personal popularity often outweighs party strength at the grassroots level.

“In Kogi Central, I may be more influential than the party itself — and that shouldn’t be the case. A political party should be bigger than any individual,” she stated.

She argued that political identity should be meaningful and reflective of a candidate’s values, so that citizens can understand what a politician stands for based on party affiliation alone.

“If someone says they’re PDP, APC, or Labour, it should be clear what principles and type of development they represent,” she noted.

Responding to praise from a community leader, Alhaji Badamasi, who called her “the face of political leadership” in Kogi Central, she said:

“That implies if I moved to Zenith Party today, people would follow — but that’s not how it should work.”

Senator Natasha concluded by stressing the urgent need for parties to define and embody their core beliefs in their actions and policies.

“My hope is that we’ll reach a point where each political party is recognized by its ideology, and those values are evident in the lives of Nigerians,” she said.