The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has exempted its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from a newly introduced requirement compelling party candidates to sign an anti-defection oath.
The party’s National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Enekweizu explained that the anti-defection oath is rooted in the party’s constitution and is intended to discourage elected officials from defecting after winning elections.
According to him, political parties are voluntary associations whose members are expected to abide by their constitutions and decisions taken by duly constituted party organs.
“Within NDC, the decision to make people sign that affidavit is provided for in our constitution,” he said.
Although the party’s constitution requires all candidates to sign the oath, Enekweizu said the leadership had taken an administrative decision to exempt the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
“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.
He said the policy is primarily targeted at members of the National and State Assemblies, who have frequently defected from parties after securing elective offices.
“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 added.
According to him, the measure is aimed at protecting the party’s structure and preventing politicians from using it merely as an electoral platform before switching allegiance after elections.
The NDC said it remains committed to building a stable political institution anchored on loyalty, discipline and long-term cohesion.
Political defections have remained a recurring feature of Nigeria’s democratic process, with elected officials often changing parties after elections due to internal disagreements, ideological differences or political realignments, a trend many parties have sought to address through stricter internal rules.