NDC Defends Anti Defection Policy Amid Criticism
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has exempted its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and vice presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from a newly introduced anti defection oath designed to discourage elected officials from abandoning the party after securing victory at the polls.
The decision, disclosed by the party’s National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, has drawn attention as political parties continue to grapple with frequent defections that have reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election.
Enekweizu defended the policy, insisting that the requirement is rooted in the party’s constitution and does not violate any provision of the Nigerian Constitution.
“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. Within NDC, the decision to make people sign that affidavit is provided for in our constitution,” he said.
According to him, while the party constitution requires all candidates contesting under the NDC platform to sign the oath, the leadership has taken what he described as an administrative decision to exclude Obi and Kwankwaso from the arrangement.
“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,” Enekweizu stated.
He explained that the primary objective of the measure is to curb the growing trend of lawmakers defecting shortly after winning elections on a party’s platform.
“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,” he said.
The move comes at a time when party defections have become one of the defining features of Nigerian politics. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, dozens of governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and state lawmakers have switched political parties, often triggering legal and constitutional debates over party loyalty and representation.
The issue has become even more prominent ahead of the 2027 elections following a series of political realignments involving major opposition figures. Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC in May 2026 after leaving the African Democratic Congress amid internal disputes and legal uncertainties within the opposition coalition.
Political analysts have long argued that frequent defections weaken party ideology, undermine voter confidence and complicate efforts to build stable political institutions. Nigeria currently has 19 registered political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, making party discipline a recurring challenge in the country’s democratic system.
Enekweizu said the NDC’s latest policy is intended to protect the party’s institutional integrity and prevent politicians from treating political parties merely as platforms for electoral success.
The development is likely to generate further debate over the balance between constitutional rights to political association and the efforts of parties to enforce internal discipline as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.Other Suitable Headlines