The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled a strict anti-defection policy designed to legally prevent elected officials from cross-carpeting to rival political organizations after winning elections under its platform.
The new framework requires all presidential, governorship, and legislative candidates to sign indemnity forms and legal affidavits. By executing these documents, candidates voluntarily pledge to vacate their seats should they choose to defect from the party during their tenure.
Speaking at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, NDC National Chairman Moses Cleopas explained that the measure aims to institutionalize party supremacy and enforce internal discipline. He noted that the decision was driven by historical trends where politicians utilize minority platforms to secure electoral victories, only to abandon those mandates for personal convenience or to join the ruling party.
The policy directly impacts several high-profile political figures who recently joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections. Notable targets include presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Adamawa State governorship candidate Aishatu Binani, all of whom have political trajectories crossing multiple party lines in recent years.
Cleopas cited the post-2023 experience of the Labour Party as a cautionary example, pointing out that a significant number of its elected lawmakers abandoned the platform after their inauguration, which severely weakened the opposition’s legislative influence. While acknowledging that the 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of association, the party leadership maintained that as a voluntary club, the NDC has the right to establish binding internal rules.
NDC National Legal Adviser Reuben Egwuaba defended the legality of the oath, stating that under Nigerian constitutional law, candidates act as agents of their political parties, meaning electoral mandates belong to the party rather than the individual officeholders.
Although the policy was officially ratified during a well-attended event by party aspirants and officials, several prominent party leaders, including Obi and Kwankwaso, were conspicuously absent from the signing ceremony.
