… what we’re seeing in Nigeria now is not a coalition but assemblage of individuals for one man’s ambition
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Hon Teejay Yusuf has declared that the era of ‘jumpology’ (Defections) is finally over.
Yusuf a three-term member of the House of Representatives made this assertion after the 101st National Executive Committee, NEC held last Tuesday. 
He said some politicians are suffering from the syndrome of ‘jumpology’ like the nomads as there is no way you can pin them to one spot.
“So, there are politicians who just assume that the moment the situation does not favour them they move out. And I keep telling people, when you leave a house because of issues, who told you there are no issues in the other house you are going to?
“Is there any human organisation without challenges? Families. So, you cease to be a member of your family because there are issues. So, I believe – I’m not seeing PDP in that way like a cult or whatever. I mean, free exit and free entry.
“However, there should be some degree of commitment. So, that’s why I kept saying that we are not, as a people, Nigerians, politically develop democratic ideals and values and party ideology.
“Why are you in party A? It’s because I believe so-so policies of the party. That’s my interest. So, it won’t be that easy for you to jump. That’s what we call in the university, we call something jumpology. If you call me jumpology, if it’s not here, we are back here.
“And if you observe, even the scriptures say it, there is need for consistency. The Bible talk about having done all that you need to do. Stand in due season. It is not in your hand to know due season. It’s the hand of God.
“You do your part, but you move. I don’t want to go into individuals because, I mean, you are out, you are out. Let’s focus on our party
On government policies, Yusuf said: “We need to begin to look at every policy of the government, make sure that we give Nigeria a better alternative. That’s why I said, I’m not interested in talking about those who have gone, my focus is PDP, and my focus is how PDP become the ruling party in Nigeria.
On coalition, he said:”I keep telling people, it’s not a coalition. If you say a coalition, it means party A, B, C, D comes together, and decided that on so, so, so, presidency or governorship, we’ll pick a candidate of this particular party, and we all rally around that candidate.
“What you have is an assemblage of individuals who believe in the candidature of one man, to become a candidate having that political party, and they move into a party, so it’s no more a coalition.
So, you see, it’s not that PDP, NEC, say, go and do this or SDP NEC took this decision, no. Individuals came together. So to me, it’s a political party they have every right.
” However, now, NEC has said this. You can’t, it’s illegal to be a member of two political parties. Some of them have taken the initiative, the boldness to resign from PDP.
“For those who have not resigned, the moment you have, because some of them,it’s so unfortunate that honour is far from a lot of them. Some of them, tactically, did not resign, and did not take the membership card of that party.
“So, legally, it will be difficult for you to challenge what they are doing, he has not resigned from PDP. He didn’t take ADC card. So, in law, he’s still a legal member of PDP.
“However, the party has said we are going to the convention now, we are going to have election, so new things will happen. Unfortunately some of them will still come back. That’s the unfortunate thing.
That’s why some people are angry, that if you keep doing this, if everybody does the same thing, will there be a house for you to come and meet?
” Our challenge majorly as a party came because we deviated drastically from our norms and values.
“Prof. Jerry Gana lucidly enumerated these things, justice, fairness. In 1999, there were a lot of very, very qualified Northerners who would have ran for presidency. They said, no, let’s sit down.
“From G18 to G34 and what have you, we formed this party on the basis of equity and what have you; let the presidency go to the South. If you remember the Jos Conference, Obasanjo and Ekwueme were the leading candidates. Rimi wanted to run, he was qualified eminently but no, we have to do it this way.
“So what we did wrong that get us to that, because when you say, hey, somebody is in our party and is supporting another party, you must not treat only symptom, you must treat the root cause.
“The root cause was that we failed to zone for the first time. In 2014, some of the leaders of our parties, eminent leaders of the party, said it was turn of the North that they should not remain in the South.
Five governors walked out of PDP, they formed new PDP and became members of APC.
“In 2019, the parties looked at their narrative and 2015 election and say we must continue with our zoning. 2023 we now failed to zone, that is the basis.
“So the same way some people felt in 2014, that is the turn of the North. In 2023, some people said, no, it’s the turn of the South.
And unfortunately for us, the same man who led the rebellion of 2014, that it was the turn of the North, is now the one that is now benefiting from 2023 becoming a candidate and at that time the narrative has not changed.
I’m sorry, I hear some people say, the North has only ruled for 10 years. Buhari, eight. Yar’Dua two. The South, Obasanjo eight, Jonathan six, Tinubu now four, so it should be the North.
I say, did Nigeria begin in 1999? How? This narrative is to suit somebody’s ambition.
“We are coming back fully. Nigerians should be very, very expectant, something good is going to come their way soon.
