Nigeria's NDC introduces anti-defection oath for candidates

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has introduced a stringent anti-defection policy designed to curb the practice of elected officials switching parties after winning elections. Under this new policy, all NDC candidates, including those running for presidential, governorship, and National Assembly seats, must sign indemnity and affidavit forms. These documents legally bind them to vacate their positions should they decide to defect from the party.

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In our last NEC meeting, a motion was moved, supported, and established that when we take over the government, people elected on the platform of our party must respect the party’s instrument.

The policy was unveiled at the party's National Secretariat in Abuja and is expected to impact prominent figures within the NDC, including its presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso. It also targets several high-profile politicians who recently joined the party in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.

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This is not just a party for one man to rise and achieve his ambitions and do anything he likes with the party.

NDC National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, explained that the party's decision stems from years of observing politicians leverage party platforms to gain electoral victories, only to abandon those same parties later for personal gain. He stated that the party is determined to protect its electoral mandates and enforce internal discipline through the principle of party supremacy. "This is not just a party for one man to rise and achieve his ambitions and do anything he likes with the party," Cleopas asserted, emphasizing the NDC's commitment to grooming future generations of leaders.

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One thing we have come to observe is that in the present polity, when people contest elections and win under political parties, they become gods.

Cleopas further elaborated that the NDC's anti-defection measure is informed by the experiences of other opposition parties, particularly the Labour Party. He pointed to the significant number of elected members who defected from the Labour Party after the 2023 elections, suggesting that the party could have been a much stronger political force had its elected officials remained loyal. "Go and check their history. How many of the people who won elections under the Labour Party and were inaugurated are still members of the party?" he questioned, underscoring the potential impact of such defections on a party's strength and influence.

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A very typical example that we have all seen in the last three years is the Labour Party, where so many individuals won elections under the platform of the party.