Politics Is Not the Problem; Professional Politicians Are — Okhani

Prominent activist and advocate for good governance, transparency, fairness, equity, justice and accountability, Federal Chief Comrade JP Okhai Okhani, has argued that politics itself is not Nigeria’s problem, but the emergence of professional politicians who have turned public service into a lifelong career.

Okhani, who describes himself as apolitical, made the assertion while examining the state of Nigeria’s democracy and the growing influence of career politicians in the country’s political system.

According to him, many Nigerians have developed a negative perception of politics because of broken promises, abandoned projects, godfatherism, money politics and elections often characterised by intense rivalry and conflict.

He, however, argued that politics should not be blamed for these challenges, stressing that politics, at its core, is the process through which societies determine how they are governed.

“Politics is how we choose who manages our schools, who fixes our hospitals, who builds our roads, and who is held accountable when things go wrong,” Comrade JP Okhai Okhani said.

Okhani maintained that what Nigeria currently experiences is better described as “careerism disguised as politics,” particularly with the emergence of a class of professional politicians over the past 25 years of democratic rule.

He explained that the professional politician is not necessarily someone who temporarily leaves a profession to serve in public office and later returns to it. Rather, he said, such individuals make political power their primary occupation, moving from one election, appointment or political position to another.

According to him, ideology and party loyalty often become secondary considerations, while access to political power and influence takes centre stage.

The activist identified four major consequences of political careerism.

First, he said, remaining in power becomes more important than delivering results, as politicians may become more interested in maintaining relevance than permanently solving problems.

Second, he noted that political structures are often protected rather than reformed because genuine reforms could threaten networks built around godfatherism, delegate systems and money politics.

Third, he said accountability suffers when some public office holders become more loyal to the political networks that helped them secure power than to the citizens they were elected to serve.

Fourth, Okhani lamented the recycling of political figures, with the same individuals frequently moving between positions such as governor, senator, minister and board chairman.

He argued that the trend could limit opportunities for fresh ideas and new leadership while creating a political culture centred more on “playing the game” than effective governance.

“This is why we have the paradox of Nigeria: good laws, bad outcomes; good policies, poor implementation; huge budgets, little impact,” he stated.

The activist further argued that constitutional amendments, the creation of new government agencies and public consultations would have limited impact if the same political structures and incentives remained unchanged.

He said Nigeria could learn from other democracies where public office is viewed primarily as temporary public service rather than lifelong employment.

According to Okhani, Nigeria needs to reduce political careerism rather than reduce politics itself.

He called for strict adherence to constitutional term limits, more transparent and democratic party primaries, stronger campaign finance regulations and a political culture that encourages citizens to reward competence and performance rather than familiarity.

“We need term limits that are respected, not circumvented. We need party primaries that are democratic, not transactions. We need campaign finance rules that reduce the power of money and godfathers,” he said.

Okhani also urged Nigerians to become more discerning in choosing political leaders, stressing that citizens have a major role to play in changing the country’s political culture.

He said public office should be regarded as a temporary responsibility entrusted to individuals for the benefit of society, rather than lifelong employment.

“Until we break the monopoly of professional politicians, politics will continue to get the blame for what people are doing with it,” Federal Chief Comrade JP Okhai Okhani said.

He concluded: “The problem is not the game. The problem is the players who have refused to leave the field.”