Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has decried the ideological bankruptcy of Nigeria’s political class, describing the current political landscape as a battle of self-serving elites rather than a contest of ideas.
Speaking as a guest speaker at The Platform Africa, where he addressed the theme “Nation Building”, the former Central Bank governor said Nigeria is in urgent need of a rebirth — both politically and ethically.
Soludo described the current state of Nigerian politics as a tragic departure from the country’s more ideologically defined past, calling for a fundamental reorientation in both party structures and citizen values.
“The first is that we must give our politics a soul by intentionally orchestrating ideologically driven political parties,” Soludo declared. “And second, a new Nigerian must be born again through ethical value of life. I say born again. The time for both to happen was yesterday, but today is still on time, because tomorrow may be too late.”
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Professor Soludo did not mince words in describing the ideological emptiness of the dominant political parties in Nigeria today. According to him, the country is effectively being run by one amorphous political entity he called the “Nigerian Elite PLC (NEP),” whose sole objective is the acquisition and retention of power.
“What we have is one party, and the name of that party is Nigerian Elite PLC, with the sole goal of grabbing power and governing, or, quote, as the spirit directs, of government by consultants and bureaucrats,” he stated.
He lamented that today’s political parties — whether APC or PDP — are indistinguishable in terms of their policies and governance philosophies. He challenged the audience:“Can you tell an APC or PDP state if you see one? In the Second Republic, all the six states controlled by UPN implemented free education and free medical services. You could tell who governed where, just by looking at the programmes.”
According to Soludo, this clarity and policy predictability were the hallmarks of an ideological foundation, which he said has since evaporated from the Nigerian political space.
“A political party that is ideology-driven ensures policy, programme, clarity, predictability and continuity. Without ideology, parties governed by things and policies programmed with vassals are common, even when the same party retains power.”
He further observed that most of today’s political parties are products of “copy-and-paste” manifestos designed merely to meet the registration requirements of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), rather than to articulate any coherent philosophical or ideological vision.
“In substance, almost all the political parties subscribe to the social democratic ideals. So ideologically speaking, there are no opposition political parties in Nigeria. Any reference to ‘opposition parties’ is mere semantics and at best refers to factions of the same Nigerian Elite PLC.”
Beyond party politics, Governor Soludo made an impassioned call for the rebirth of the Nigerian citizen — a transformation he described as spiritual and ethical.
“A new Nigerian must be born again through ethical value of life,” he emphasized. “It’s not just the parties that need renewal, the citizens do too. The time to act was yesterday, but today is still on time.”
Soludo linked this ethical reorientation to the need for a nation-building process grounded in shared values, rather than fragmented by ethnicity and religion. He called for political mobilisation around ideology as a way to unify Nigeria’s deeply divided population.
“Organising Nigerians around ideological devices is a sustainable way to mobilise citizens across ethnic and religious divides.”
He cited historical examples of ideologically grounded parties such as the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), whose agenda included free education, free healthcare, comprehensive rural development, and a strong national economy — policies that were not just theoretical but actually implemented across their governed states.
“The UPN implemented those programmes. Everyone signed up to them. We debated these policies in universities, and you could tell who stood for what.”
Soludo also noted the intellectual decline within party politics, lamenting the absence of ideological debates and the growing culture of convenience and opportunism.
“Today, not anymore. I don’t know how many politicians today can hold up and explain or defend the ideologies of their political parties. Indeed, the speed with which people switch parties is a testament to their political parties and their platforms of convenient opportunism. No principles, no public purpose, only personal confidence.”
He also took aim at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that it was born from a political marriage of convenience rather than ideological coherence.
“Even the APC started off as a marriage of convenience with the merger of ACN, ANPP, and factions of APGA and PDP with the goal of grabbing power. After 10 years of governing at the centre and controlling most states of Nigeria, it is time to be very intentional about its ideological foundations.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s political history, Soludo argued that the country has regressed in ideological consciousness since the Second and Third Republics, when parties had well-defined worldviews and competing policy platforms.
“We seem to have developed backwards, as the gains of the Second and Third Republics in terms of rigorous ideological debates and struggles have literally disappeared.”
He cited the example of the short-lived Third Republic, when General Babangida attempted to institutionalize ideologically distinct parties — the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“President Babangida experimented with two ideologically defined parties: NRC, right of centre; and SDP, left of centre. Now, what do we have today?”
Soludo concluded his remarks with a bold appeal to both political actors and ordinary citizens to join hands in rebuilding Nigeria — not merely through political reforms but through a shared moral compass.
“Therefore, to give our politics content and a soul, things must change,” he urged. “Let’s be intentional. Let’s build ideologically driven parties, and let us raise a new generation of Nigerians committed to ethical values.”
His words came as both a critique and a roadmap, warning that if Nigeria continues on its present path of ideological confusion and moral bankruptcy, the consequences may be irreversible.
“The time for both [ideological rebirth and ethical renewal] to happen was yesterday, but today is still on time. Tomorrow may be too late.”
