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Nigerian Political Parties Lack Ideology” – Joko, Mindshift Convener

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4 years ago

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“Nigerian Political Parties Lack Ideology” – Joko, Mindshift Convener “Nigerian Political Parties Lack Ideology” – Joko, Mindshift Convener----The Convener, Mindshift Advocacy for Development Initiative, Mr. Joko Okupe, has indicted Nigerian political parties for lack of ideological direction. Mr. Okupe made this declaration in a media interaction held recently at the Mindshift corporate office in Ikeja, Lagos. Fielding questions from the press the Mindshift Convener argues that none of the parties in Nigeria contending and jostling for political power come 2023 is driven on the wheels of ideology. What directs the life and operations of a political party in a democracy, he said, is ideology. Ideology is the bulwark of the party’s culture. It stands tall as the oil or blood that runs the engine of the party and directs the actions of both the party officials and the membership. According to Mr. Okupe, “Ideology consists of the common beliefs, values, and norms of the party directed at defining the kind of society a party plans to build. It comes from a common vision designed by the party as a roadmap to the society in view. Ideology forms the operating framework from where the political parties draw their inspirations and strategies which are encapsulated into manifestoes and agendas and subsequently communicated to the public through their campaign communications. But can we say the parties have any ideological direction? How, for instance, can you distinguish APC from PDP. Because the parties lack ideology, so there are no distinctions in their manifestoes. Every party appears to be saying the same thing about: building infrastructure, providing youth employment, providing good health care and good education. But we know it is the same thing they have been saying since 1999”.   Speaking further about the Nigerian state and the type of leader Nigerians will expect come 2023 he said, “There is no political party in Nigeria today you can say is a shining example of what a political party should be. They all lack ideology. We are in a Nigerian state variously described by political scientists as predatory, prebendal, parasitic, patrimonial, neo-patrimonial, crony, kleptocratic, venal, greedy, etc., that has created a crop of leaders who in themselves are selfish and do not understand their own historical mission. Under this situation he posited that we need a certain kind of leader. “We need a leader who is sufficiently knowledgeable about the task ahead, and understands the context behind Nigeria’s current historical trajectory, and would be ready to tackle it headlong. We need a leader who is bold, brave, and courageous - who can break the bounds of our stranglehold. A leader who understands the need to build cohesion in a multiethnic and multicultural society. We need someone who can confront orthodoxy and demolish our fault lines without diminishing our disparate cultural and ethnic values. Such a leader needs to have a clarity of his vision and how he wants to achieve it. I have not seen much of that in the present crop of party contenders for the post of the president in 2023.” Speaking on the solution to the Nigerian leadership problem, he said that Nigeria needs an upgrade in the reformulation of the state, the leadership class, and the citizens. The state is malfunctioning because of its hackneyed structure which tilts towards centrality and unitary-federalism. That is an aberration in a multiethnic and multicultural state. The leaders are selfish and visionless, attracted only by the fancy of their kleptomaniac tendencies. They do not understand the very purpose of life, and hence can hardly understand the essence of leadership. The followers are famished and lack the understanding of what liberal democracy is all about. In the most part, they lack enough knowledge to appreciate that they are actually the king while the politicians are their servants. They mistake the concept of leadership in a political setting with the concept of kingship in a traditional setting; and this makes them subservient to the politicians who should be accountable to them. This contradiction makes democracy difficult to practice in Nigeria. Under this scenario the politicians weaponize poverty as an instrument of domination against the citizens.   Following this, Mr. Okupe advocates for the mass enlightenment of the political class and the citizens. For him, both the political class and the citizens are under bondage, and need to be enlightened so that they can be liberated to develop the country, without which Nigeria remains undeveloped for eve. This is the reason he convened the Mindshift movement.   Explaining further, Mr. Okupe said that, “Mindshift Advocacy Initiative for Development was created out of the vision and understanding that our response to whatever situation we find ourselves, either in our individual terrain, group terrain or national terrain, is directly a result of how we think. The bible says, as a man thinks in his heart so he is or becomes. So, if we understand that, we will all push for a Mindshift or a change of how we think. That is what will actually move us away from where we are now. So, the Mindshift movement is actually focused on shifting mind-sets from negative to positive. It is a non-governmental and non-partisan organization. It is focused on redirecting the mind-set of Nigerians from the route of destruction in every area of lives. “If a man wants to be destructive or disruptive, it is through the power of his mind.” “There is so much capacity in the power of the mind that the way and manner that the mind is directed determines a man's outcome. Even for us, as a lesson, other nations of the world are doing incredibly well is due to the different mind-sets that they have. The average Nigerian mindset is anti-progress and anti-development. How can we have progress and development without working on the re-orientations of the mindset we have?   Even when government decides to run a campaign on changing attitudes, the success will depend on how people think.” We must have that clear understanding. That essentially is the mandate of the Mindshift advocacy. Joko Okupe who is a brand management and marketing communications expert of about 35 years, and who has consulted for many globally reckoned organisations, is set to bring that knowledge and experience to the front burner in the management of the Mindshift advocacy, with the sole aim of galvanizing the Nigerian people to a new way of thinking and reasoning that will lift this country from one milestone of development to a higher milestone of development.

“Nigerian Political Parties Lack Ideology” – Joko, Mindshift Convener

 

 

 

The Convener, Mindshift Advocacy for Development Initiative, Mr. Joko Okupe, has indicted Nigerian political parties for lack of ideological direction. Mr. Okupe made this declaration in a media interaction held recently at the Mindshift corporate office in Ikeja, Lagos.

 

 

“Nigerian Political Parties Lack Ideology” – Joko, Mindshift Convener “Nigerian Political Parties Lack Ideology” – Joko, Mindshift Convener----The Convener, Mindshift Advocacy for Development Initiative, Mr. Joko Okupe, has indicted Nigerian political parties for lack of ideological direction. Mr. Okupe made this declaration in a media interaction held recently at the Mindshift corporate office in Ikeja, Lagos. Fielding questions from the press the Mindshift Convener argues that none of the parties in Nigeria contending and jostling for political power come 2023 is driven on the wheels of ideology. What directs the life and operations of a political party in a democracy, he said, is ideology. Ideology is the bulwark of the party’s culture. It stands tall as the oil or blood that runs the engine of the party and directs the actions of both the party officials and the membership. According to Mr. Okupe, “Ideology consists of the common beliefs, values, and norms of the party directed at defining the kind of society a party plans to build. It comes from a common vision designed by the party as a roadmap to the society in view. Ideology forms the operating framework from where the political parties draw their inspirations and strategies which are encapsulated into manifestoes and agendas and subsequently communicated to the public through their campaign communications. But can we say the parties have any ideological direction? How, for instance, can you distinguish APC from PDP. Because the parties lack ideology, so there are no distinctions in their manifestoes. Every party appears to be saying the same thing about: building infrastructure, providing youth employment, providing good health care and good education. But we know it is the same thing they have been saying since 1999”.   Speaking further about the Nigerian state and the type of leader Nigerians will expect come 2023 he said, “There is no political party in Nigeria today you can say is a shining example of what a political party should be. They all lack ideology. We are in a Nigerian state variously described by political scientists as predatory, prebendal, parasitic, patrimonial, neo-patrimonial, crony, kleptocratic, venal, greedy, etc., that has created a crop of leaders who in themselves are selfish and do not understand their own historical mission. Under this situation he posited that we need a certain kind of leader. “We need a leader who is sufficiently knowledgeable about the task ahead, and understands the context behind Nigeria’s current historical trajectory, and would be ready to tackle it headlong. We need a leader who is bold, brave, and courageous - who can break the bounds of our stranglehold. A leader who understands the need to build cohesion in a multiethnic and multicultural society. We need someone who can confront orthodoxy and demolish our fault lines without diminishing our disparate cultural and ethnic values. Such a leader needs to have a clarity of his vision and how he wants to achieve it. I have not seen much of that in the present crop of party contenders for the post of the president in 2023.” Speaking on the solution to the Nigerian leadership problem, he said that Nigeria needs an upgrade in the reformulation of the state, the leadership class, and the citizens. The state is malfunctioning because of its hackneyed structure which tilts towards centrality and unitary-federalism. That is an aberration in a multiethnic and multicultural state. The leaders are selfish and visionless, attracted only by the fancy of their kleptomaniac tendencies. They do not understand the very purpose of life, and hence can hardly understand the essence of leadership. The followers are famished and lack the understanding of what liberal democracy is all about. In the most part, they lack enough knowledge to appreciate that they are actually the king while the politicians are their servants. They mistake the concept of leadership in a political setting with the concept of kingship in a traditional setting; and this makes them subservient to the politicians who should be accountable to them. This contradiction makes democracy difficult to practice in Nigeria. Under this scenario the politicians weaponize poverty as an instrument of domination against the citizens.   Following this, Mr. Okupe advocates for the mass enlightenment of the political class and the citizens. For him, both the political class and the citizens are under bondage, and need to be enlightened so that they can be liberated to develop the country, without which Nigeria remains undeveloped for eve. This is the reason he convened the Mindshift movement.   Explaining further, Mr. Okupe said that, “Mindshift Advocacy Initiative for Development was created out of the vision and understanding that our response to whatever situation we find ourselves, either in our individual terrain, group terrain or national terrain, is directly a result of how we think. The bible says, as a man thinks in his heart so he is or becomes. So, if we understand that, we will all push for a Mindshift or a change of how we think. That is what will actually move us away from where we are now. So, the Mindshift movement is actually focused on shifting mind-sets from negative to positive. It is a non-governmental and non-partisan organization. It is focused on redirecting the mind-set of Nigerians from the route of destruction in every area of lives. “If a man wants to be destructive or disruptive, it is through the power of his mind.” “There is so much capacity in the power of the mind that the way and manner that the mind is directed determines a man's outcome. Even for us, as a lesson, other nations of the world are doing incredibly well is due to the different mind-sets that they have. The average Nigerian mindset is anti-progress and anti-development. How can we have progress and development without working on the re-orientations of the mindset we have?   Even when government decides to run a campaign on changing attitudes, the success will depend on how people think.” We must have that clear understanding. That essentially is the mandate of the Mindshift advocacy. Joko Okupe who is a brand management and marketing communications expert of about 35 years, and who has consulted for many globally reckoned organisations, is set to bring that knowledge and experience to the front burner in the management of the Mindshift advocacy, with the sole aim of galvanizing the Nigerian people to a new way of thinking and reasoning that will lift this country from one milestone of development to a higher milestone of development.

 

 

 

 

Fielding questions from the press the Mindshift Convener argues that none of the parties in Nigeria contending and jostling for political power come 2023 is driven on the wheels of ideology. What directs the life and operations of a political party in a democracy, he said, is ideology. Ideology is the bulwark of the party’s culture. It stands tall as the oil or blood that runs the engine of the party and directs the actions of both the party officials and the membership.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to Mr. Okupe, “Ideology consists of the common beliefs, values, and norms of the party directed at defining the kind of society a party plans to build. It comes from a common vision designed by the party as a roadmap to the society in view. Ideology forms the operating framework from where the political parties draw their inspirations and strategies which are encapsulated into manifestoes and agendas and subsequently communicated to the public through their campaign communications. But can we say the parties have any ideological direction? How, for instance, can you distinguish APC from PDP. Because the parties lack ideology, so there are no distinctions in their manifestoes. Every party appears to be saying the same thing about: building infrastructure, providing youth employment, providing good health care and good education. But we know it is the same thing they have been saying since 1999”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking further about the Nigerian state and the type of leader Nigerians will expect come 2023 he said, “There is no political party in Nigeria today you can say is a shining example of what a political party should be. They all lack ideology. We are in a Nigerian state variously described by political scientists as predatory, prebendal, parasitic, patrimonial, neo-patrimonial, crony, kleptocratic, venal, greedy, etc., that has created a crop of leaders who in themselves are selfish and do not understand their own historical mission. Under this situation he posited that we need a certain kind of leader. “We need a leader who is sufficiently knowledgeable about the task ahead, and understands the context behind Nigeria’s current historical trajectory, and would be ready to tackle it headlong. We need a leader who is bold, brave, and courageous – who can break the bounds of our stranglehold. A leader who understands the need to build cohesion in a multiethnic and multicultural society. We need someone who can confront orthodoxy and demolish our fault lines without diminishing our disparate cultural and ethnic values. Such a leader needs to have a clarity of his vision and how he wants to achieve it. I have not seen much of that in the present crop of party contenders for the post of the president in 2023.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking on the solution to the Nigerian leadership problem, he said that Nigeria needs an upgrade in the reformulation of the state, the leadership class, and the citizens. The state is malfunctioning because of its hackneyed structure which tilts towards centrality and unitary-federalism. That is an aberration in a multiethnic and multicultural state. The leaders are selfish and visionless, attracted only by the fancy of their kleptomaniac tendencies. They do not understand the very purpose of life, and hence can hardly understand the essence of leadership. The followers are famished and lack the understanding of what liberal democracy is all about. In the most part, they lack enough knowledge to appreciate that they are actually the king while the politicians are their servants. They mistake the concept of leadership in a political setting with the concept of kingship in a traditional setting; and this makes them subservient to the politicians who should be accountable to them. This contradiction makes democracy difficult to practice in Nigeria. Under this scenario the politicians weaponize poverty as an instrument of domination against the citizens.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following this, Mr. Okupe advocates for the mass enlightenment of the political class and the citizens. For him, both the political class and the citizens are under bondage, and need to be enlightened so that they can be liberated to develop the country, without which Nigeria remains undeveloped for eve. This is the reason he convened the Mindshift movement.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explaining further, Mr. Okupe said that, “Mindshift Advocacy Initiative for Development was created out of the vision and understanding that our response to whatever situation we find ourselves, either in our individual terrain, group terrain or national terrain, is directly a result of how we think. The bible says, as a man thinks in his heart so he is or becomes. So, if we understand that, we will all push for a Mindshift or a change of how we think. That is what will actually move us away from where we are now. So, the Mindshift movement is actually focused on shifting mind-sets from negative to positive. It is a non-governmental and non-partisan organization. It is focused on redirecting the mind-set of Nigerians from the route of destruction in every area of lives. “If a man wants to be destructive or disruptive, it is through the power of his mind.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There is so much capacity in the power of the mind that the way and manner that the mind is directed determines a man’s outcome. Even for us, as a lesson, other nations of the world are doing incredibly well is due to the different mind-sets that they have. The average Nigerian mindset is anti-progress and anti-development. How can we have progress and development without working on the re-orientations of the mindset we have?   Even when government decides to run a campaign on changing attitudes, the success will depend on how people think.” We must have that clear understanding. That essentially is the mandate of the Mindshift advocacy.
Joko Okupe who is a brand management and marketing communications expert of about 35 years, and who has consulted for many globally reckoned organisations, is set to bring that knowledge and experience to the front burner in the management of the Mindshift advocacy, with the sole aim of galvanizing the Nigerian people to a new way of thinking and reasoning that will lift this country from one milestone of development to a higher milestone of development.

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RESPONSIBLE RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE NIGERIAN ARMY

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54 minutes ago

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April 23, 2026

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RESPONSIBLE RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE NIGERIAN ARMY By Brigadier General D.G. James (Rtd.)

RESPONSIBLE RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE NIGERIAN ARMY

By Brigadier General D.G. James (Rtd.)

 

LAGOS — A recent publication by Sahara Reporters alleging systemic corruption, the creation of “mushroom units,” inflated budgets, and operational sabotage within the Nigerian Army has sparked concern across security and public circles.

RESPONSIBLE RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE NIGERIAN ARMY By Brigadier General D.G. James (Rtd.)

But a retired senior officer, Brigadier General D.G. James, has pushed back strongly, describing the claims as unsubstantiated, misleading, and damaging to the integrity of an institution that has borne the brunt of Nigeria’s internal security battles for over a decade.

 

Having served for 30 years across the North-East, North-West, and Niger Delta, the retired general said his intervention is not in defence of any individual, but of the institution itself.

 

Questioning Anonymous Claims

At the heart of the controversial report is a single unnamed source described as a “top military strategist.” General James argues that such anonymity, without corroborating evidence, weakens the credibility of the allegations.

“Serious claims about budgets, personnel, and logistics must be backed by verifiable documents, not vague assertions,” he said, challenging the publication to provide concrete proof, including records or sworn statements.

“Mushroom Units” or Operational Necessity?

The report’s claim that under-strength units were created to inflate budgets was also dismissed as a misunderstanding of modern counter-insurgency operations.

 

According to the retired officer, Nigeria’s evolving security threats — from Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East to banditry in the North-West and separatist tensions in the South-East, have necessitated the creation of flexible task forces and new formations.

 

“Operating below full strength is not evidence of corruption,” he said. “It reflects battlefield realities , casualties, redeployments, and expansion under pressure.”

 

Payroll and Logistics Allegations

On claims of double-counting personnel for financial gain, General James described the scenario as “logistically implausible,” citing centralized payroll systems tied to biometric verification.

He further noted that accusations of fuel diversion ignore broader structural issues within Nigeria’s budgeting system.

“Funds approved on paper are often not fully released. By the time allocations reach operational units, commanders are forced to manage limited resources,” he explained.

Reaction to Benisheik Reference

General James also condemned the report’s reference to the death of Brigadier General Oseni Braimah during an ISWAP attack in Benisheik, calling it an inappropriate attempt to link battlefield losses to alleged corruption.

“Using the death of a fallen officer to support unverified claims is deeply disrespectful,” he said.

Broader Accountability

While not dismissing the possibility of corruption in defence spending, the retired general emphasized that responsibility cannot be placed solely on the military.
He pointed to the role of the National Assembly in budget approvals and civilian institutions in oversight and prosecution.

“If there are flaws in the system, they are systemic , not exclusive to the armed forces,” he noted.

 

Call for Transparent Investigation

General James called for a thorough and independent investigation into the allegations, urging authorities to rely on verifiable evidence rather than media narratives.

“Let every claim be examined , but fairly, transparently, and without prejudice,” he said.

 

Reaffirming his lifelong loyalty to the military, the retired officer urged Nigerians to approach such reports with caution.
“Our soldiers have made enormous sacrifices in defence of this country. Allegations alone should not overshadow those realities,” he stated.

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IGP Closes PMF Commanders’ Training, Pledges Better Welfare, Tactical Capacity

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12 hours ago

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April 22, 2026

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IGP Closes PMF Commanders’ Training, Pledges Better Welfare, Tactical Capacity

 

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on Wednesday closed a Squadron Commanders’ Training Programme at the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Training College in Ende-Hills, Nasarawa State, vowing to strengthen leadership and operational effectiveness across the force.

At the ceremony, the IGP inspected training facilities including the simulation ground and shooting range, where he personally took part in tactical exercises. He told cadets of the Nigeria Police Academy undergoing training at the college to remain disciplined and focused, stressing that their effectiveness on the field would depend on the quality of their training.

“Resilience, professionalism, and strict adherence to human rights principles must guide your conduct,” Disu said.

Addressing the graduating squadron commanders, he urged them to apply their newly acquired skills in leadership, operational discipline, and tactical efficiency. He described the PMF as a “highly disciplined, responsive, and reliable tactical arm” of the Nigeria Police Force.

The IGP further reaffirmed his commitment to improving officers’ welfare and boosting operational capacity, assuring that formations would be adequately equipped to tackle evolving security challenges nationwide.

 

IGP Closes PMF Commanders’ Training, Pledges Better Welfare, Tactical Capacity

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Oyo 2027: Ajadi Secures Oke-Ogun PDP Backing, Holds Closed-Door Talks with Samuel Adejumobi (Agbarapo)

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19 hours ago

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April 22, 2026

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Oyo 2027: Ajadi Secures Oke-Ogun PDP Backing, Holds Closed-Door Talks with Samuel Adejumobi (Agbarapo)

 

Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Oke-Ogun zone of Oyo State on Tuesday received a leading governorship aspirant, Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, in Saki, pledging political backing for his ambition ahead of the party’s primaries.

 

The stakeholders’ meeting, held at Saki City Hall, drew party leaders, community figures, and grassroots mobilisers from across the zone, reflecting the growing momentum surrounding Ajadi’s consultations across the state.

 

Addressing party faithful, Ajadi reiterated his commitment to building on the achievements of the current administration led by Governor Seyi Makinde, noting that continuity and expansion of ongoing projects would form the cornerstone of his policy direction.

 

“I will leverage the developmental strides of the present administration and ensure that their impact is extended to more communities across the state. Governance must be progressive, not disruptive,” Ajadi stated.

 

He outlined key areas of focus, including workers’ welfare and pension administration, promising a disciplined financial structure that guarantees prompt salary payments.

 

“Our workers deserve dignity and certainty. Salaries will be paid on or before the 25th of every month, and our retirees will receive improved attention. A government that neglects its workforce cannot deliver sustainable development,” he added.

 

Ajadi also disclosed plans for extensive grassroots engagement across all 33 local government areas of the state, aimed at identifying peculiar needs and integrating them into policy formulation.

 

“This is not just about ambition; it is about understanding the people. I will be embarking on a statewide tour to listen, learn, and design policies that reflect the realities at the grassroots,” he said.

 

Party leaders and stakeholders from Saki West and the wider Oke-Ogun zone pledged their support for Ajadi, citing his accessibility, philanthropic engagements, and perceived capacity to lead the state. Among those who spoke were Alhaji Rasak Aderele (popularly known as Super), Adeleke Thomas (Baba Elepo), and Hon. Coach Kehinde Adetola, who described him as a unifying figure capable of strengthening the PDP’s electoral chances.

 

Addressing concerns about internal party dynamics, Ajadi reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, dismissing speculation about a possible defection.

 

“I remain committed to the PDP. This is my party, and I believe in its vision. My focus is on securing the mandate of our members through consultations and consensus-building,” he said.

 

Shortly after the stakeholders’ engagement, Ajadi proceeded to a closed-door strategic meeting with a fellow PDP gubernatorial aspirant, Samuel Ademola Adejumobi, popularly known as “Agbarapo.”

 

Adejumobi, a prominent political figure from Atisbo Local Government Area in the Oke-Ogun zone, is a former Majority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly and currently serves as Special Adviser on Legislative Matters to Governor Makinde. The meeting, held indoors away from the larger gathering, was seen as part of ongoing consultations and alignment efforts among aspirants within the party.

 

Observers note that such high-level engagements signal a strategic attempt to foster unity and strengthen internal cohesion ahead of the PDP governorship primaries.

 

With growing grassroots support and intensified consultations across Oke-Ogun and beyond, Ajadi’s political activities continue to gather pace, positioning him as a formidable contender in the race for the party’s ticket.

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