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Abstract
arty defection has become a defining feature of Nigeria Fourth Republic, but its impact on political stability at the local government level is still poorly understood. This study looks at how legislative and elite defection affects political stability in Delta State, focusing on Ethiope West and Ughelli North Local Government Areas. Both areas are in Nigeria’s oil rich Niger Delta, a region shaped by complex ethnic politics and struggles over resources. The research has three main goals: to find out what drives political actors to defect, to analyze how defection affects political stability, and to understand what it means for democracy at the local level. The study uses a mixed methods approach. It includes survey data from 384 randomly selected registered voters, semi structured interviews with 24 political party executives and community leaders, and six focus group discussions across the two LGAs. The research was quantitativelly analyzed data using descriptive statistics and qualitative data using thematic analysis. The results showed that defection happens mainly for two reasons: rational calculations like access to money, resources, and electoral wins, and institutional problems such as weak party structures and lack of ideological commitment. The consequences cut across multiple areas. Politically, defections spark conflicts within communities, worsen rivalries among elites, and disrupt governance over time. Institutionally, they damage public trust in political parties and elections, which leads to voter apathy and a backslide in democracy. The study also found that involuntary defection where politicians are intimidated and cohersed to leave through blackmail and witch hunting is a real but understudied issue in the Niger Delta. This research adds to the broader conversation on African party politics by focusing on the local government level, which researchers often ignore. The study concludes that unless party institutionalization is strengthened and the root causes of opportunistic defection are addressed, political stability and democratic progress in Delta State and other resource dependent regions like it will remain fragile. The study recommends, among other things, building internal party democracy and creating laws that reduce the disruptive effects of cross carpeting on local governance. vi
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