Iro Aghedo

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

This dissertation explores the relationship between social capital and police performance in Ondo State: A case study of Akure South Local Government Area, Nigeria. The research objectives include assessing the current state of social capital, examining the effectiveness of police performance, investigating the relationship between social capital and police performance, and exploring the impact of socio-economic and cultural factors on the police-social capital dynamic. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. The findings reveal that social capital is relatively low in Akure South LGA, while police performance is affected by various challenges. The study also identifies a positive correlation between social capital and police performance, indicating that communities with higher social capital tend to have better police performance. Furthermore, the research highlights the significance of socio-economic and cultural factors in shaping the police-social capital dynamic. The study recommends strategies for building social capital and improving police performance, including community policing, stakeholder engagement, and cultural sensitivity training for police officers. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on social capital and police performance, providing insights for policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and community leaders seeking to enhance public safety and community well-being

The 1983 coup d’état that ousted the Shehu Shagari government out of power gave to justify their action with the poor health condition of across the country. The master minders claimed that the country’s hospitals had become “mere consulting clinics. “In the speech announcing the overthrow of the government, Sani Abacha (then a brigadier- general) lamented, “Health services are in (a) shambles as our hospitals are reduced to mere consulting clinics without drugs, water and equipment.” Depressingly, 40 years after, the last 24 years under civilian rule, not much improvement has been witnessed in the sector. (Source Punch Newspaper 14 September, 2021. page 14). Things have deteriorated in the sector so much that even the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), alongside the political elite, does not trust the country’s hospitals enough for their medical needs. Instead, have resorts to medical tourism in the United Kingdom at huge public huge expense. The British Broadcasting Corporation says Nigeria spends about $1 billion annually on medical tourism, particularly to India. This poor health
infrastructure no doubt is the basic reason for the high-level exit of skilled medical workers from the county. The study examined the health implications of globalization of skilled Medical Health workers with evidence from post Covid -19 Brain Drains in Edo
State Nigeria. It was discovered that globalization has produced significant shifts everywhere. Healthcare is undergoing dramatic globalization. This research is about the high level of brain drain as experience in the post covid -19 in Edo State Nigeria. With
the mass exodus of doctors fleeing an increasingly hostile work and economic environment, if care is not taken, there will be nobody to consult at the decayed “clinics” again. Health is not valued until sickness comes. The study revealed that despite the risks
of frontline workers during the pandemic –migration to high income countries remain attractive to medical skilled and health workers from Edo State due to better working conditions including remuneration and workload. The implications is that if not managed well, increased demand for health workers will leave considerable gaps in Edo already weak health system. (Nation Newspaper on Apr 25, 2022). It is recommended that government should intensify effort in the proper funding and encouragement of health workers in Nigeria in order to arrest the continuous increase of brain drain in Edo State and in Nigeria.

The 1983 coup d’état that ousted the Shehu Shagari government out of power gave to justify their action with the poor health condition of across the country. The master minders claimed that the country’s hospitals had become “mere consulting clinics. “In the speech announcing the overthrow of the government, Sani Abacha (then a brigadier- general) lamented, “Health services are in (a) shambles as our hospitals are reduced to mere consulting clinics without drugs, water and equipment.” Depressingly, 40 years after, the last 24 years under civilian rule, not much improvement has been witnessed in the sector. (Source Punch Newspaper 14 September, 2021. page 14). Things have deteriorated in the sector so much that even the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), alongside the political elite, does not trust the country’s hospitals enough for their medical needs. Instead, have resorts to medical tourism in the United Kingdom at huge public huge expense. The British Broadcasting Corporation says Nigeria spends about $1 billion annually on medical tourism, particularly to India. This poor health
infrastructure no doubt is the basic reason for the high-level exit of skilled medical workers from the county. The study examined the health implications of globalization of skilled Medical Health workers with evidence from post Covid -19 Brain Drains in Edo State Nigeria. It was discovered that globalization has produced significant shifts everywhere. Healthcare is undergoing dramatic globalization. This research is about the high level of brain drain as experience in the post covid -19 in Edo State Nigeria. With
the mass exodus of doctors fleeing an increasingly hostile work and economic environment, if care is not taken, there will be nobody to consult at the decayed “clinics” again. Health is not valued until sickness comes. The study revealed that despite the risks of frontline workers during the pandemic –migration to high income countries remain attractive to medical skilled and health workers from Edo State due to better working conditions including remuneration and workload. The implications is that if not managed well, increased demand for health workers will leave considerable gaps in Edo already weak health system. (Nation Newspaper on Apr 25, 2022). It is recommended that government should intensify effort in the proper funding and encouragement of health workers in Nigeria in order to arrest the continuous increase of brain drain in Edo State and in Nigeria.