Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has exempted its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, from its newly introduced anti-defection oath, even as the party insists that all governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates must sign the loyalty pledge or risk losing their seats if they defect after winning elections, the party’s leadership announced on Tuesday.
The anti-defection policy, unveiled at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, mandates candidates for governorship, National Assembly and other positions to sign indemnity and affidavit forms committing to vacate their seats if they abandon the party after winning elections, according to a report by Newswatch. The measure is aimed at preventing elected officials from using the party as a stepping stone before defecting to rival platforms, a trend that party leaders say has weakened opposition parties in recent years. The policy is expected to affect several high-profile politicians who recently joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections, including former Adamawa State governorship candidate Aishatu Binani.
Clarifying the policy in a post on X, the party’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communication, Theo Agada, said Obi and Kwankwaso are not subject to the directive. “The policy does not affect the presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, and the vice presidential candidate, His Excellency Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The party trusts the commitment of our presidential and vice presidential nominees, and they are not bound by this policy,” Agada explained. “This internal policy is aimed at building the NDC as an institution and preventing political prostitution among some of its members. They are exempted.” Many of the party’s key leaders, including Obi and Kwankwaso, were absent from the event, Newswatch reported.
Speaking during the ceremony, NDC National Chairman Moses Cleopas explained that the party is determined to protect its electoral mandates and enforce internal discipline through the principle of party supremacy, noting that the policy was informed by years of observing politicians secure electoral victories on party platforms only to abandon them for personal convenience. He specifically pointed to the recent history of the Labour Party, where several individuals won elections under the party’s platform but later defected. “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,” Cleopas said. “This is not just a party for one man to rise and achieve his ambitions and do anything he likes with the party. This is a political party that we desire to groom and hand over to the next generation.” He lamented the current political culture of defecting, noting that politicians often leave their sponsoring parties for minor excuses to join the ruling party. “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. Now, we are in another election cycle. 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 asked.
The party’s National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, further clarified the rationale behind the exemption during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. He defended the legality of the measure, noting that political parties function as voluntary associations and their members are strictly bound by internal rules and constitutional provisions. “First and foremost, a political party is like any other association, and every member who subscribes to the membership of the party is bound by the provisions of the constitution of the party and decisions taken by the party’s properly constituted authorities,” Enekweizu said. He dismissed criticisms that the oath violates the country’s constitution, emphasising that the requirement to sign the affidavit is fully backed by the NDC constitution.
However, Enekweizu disclosed that the party leadership had chosen to exercise administrative discretion to excuse its top two standard-bearers from the mandate. “The constitution says everybody running under the platform of the party has to sign, but the party has taken the administrative decision that those required to sign in this instance do not include the presidential candidate and his vice,” he stated. According to the National Secretary, the primary target of the defensive policy is not the executive branch, but rather lawmakers who secure seats under the party’s umbrella only to defect to rival political movements shortly after taking office. “Our main focus is not the governor; it’s not the president, it’s the national and state assembly members elected on the platform of our party,” Enekweizu said. He reiterated that the NDC is committed to building a lasting, durable political institution and will actively prevent politicians from exploiting the platform merely as a temporary stepping stone to public office.
The anti-defection measure has drawn attention to the NDC’s internal governance structure as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections. The policy reflects growing frustration among opposition parties over the wave of defections that has weakened political organisations and altered the balance of power across the country. Party leaders have repeatedly cited the experience of the Labour Party following the 2023 general elections, where many lawmakers elected on the platform later defected to other parties, as a key justification for the policy. The NDC leadership has made it clear that while participation in the party remains voluntary, strict compliance with internal safeguards is non‑negotiable for all flagbearers, with the notable exception of its presidential and vice‑presidential candidates.
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