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In a democracy, no citizen is condemned to servitude under a political party. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under Section 40, guarantees the right to freedom of association the liberty to join, belong, or exit any political group in pursuit of one’s conviction and conscience.
It is therefore deeply troubling that in 2025, we still treat defection or realignment as treason rather than choice. In recent days, the name Usman Austin Okai has dominated conversations, gossip, and half-baked conclusions across social media. Those who once applauded his courage in opposition now feel betrayed by a rumour yet few pause to ask what principles underpin his decisions or what circumstances provoke such reflections.
Austin Okai is not a stranger to political adversity. For years, he stood as the conscience of the Kogi opposition speaking truth to power, challenging impunity, and paying personal prices for it. His voice, sometimes fiery and uncomfortable, became a mirror through which power saw its excesses. Whether one agrees with his methods or not, history records that he never bowed to silence.
But activism is not slavery, and conviction does not mean rigidity. A man’s political destination should be guided by the values he seeks to advance, not by the noise of those who refuse to evolve. If today, Austin Okai chooses to review his alignment, that does not diminish his essence it affirms his humanity and his constitutional right to navigate the landscape of ideas and alliances in pursuit of better governance.
The tragedy of our politics is that we glorify defection when it benefits us and demonize it when it doesn’t. Yet, we forget that democracy thrives on plurality, mobility, and persuasion not imprisonment of thought. The same Constitution that empowers one to criticize a party equally empowers another to change it.
Let us, therefore, be guided. Whether Austin Okai remains in the PDP, moves to the APC, or charts an independent path, his legacy is already defined by courage and service. No rumour or partisan noise can erase the fact that he stood when many cowered, spoke when others whispered, and inspired a generation of politically conscious youths who now demand more from their leaders.
In the final analysis, political loyalty must never override intellectual honesty. We must learn to respect choice, for democracy loses its soul when conviction becomes a crime.
– Baba Christian writes from Egume.
