The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, will not be required to sign the party’s newly introduced anti-defection oath. The party’s national spokesman, Ikenna Enekweizu, made this known during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ program on Wednesday.
Enekweizu justified the measure, stating that political parties are voluntary associations and must adhere to their own internal rules and constitutional provisions. He dismissed criticisms that the oath violates the constitution, emphasizing that it is fully backed by the NDC constitution. The party leadership exercised administrative discretion to exempt its top two standard-bearers from the requirement.
According to Enekweizu, the policy is primarily aimed at lawmakers who win elections under the party’s banner but later defect to other parties. He stated, ‘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.’ The NDC is committed to building a stable political institution and preventing politicians from using the party as a stepping stone.
The anti-defection oath was introduced to curb the trend of elected officials abandoning their parties, which weakens political organizations and erodes voter trust. The policy requires candidates to pledge loyalty to the party or risk losing their seats if they defect.