NDC Defends Introduction Of Anti-Defection Policy, Exempts Obi And Kwankwaso

The National Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ikenna Enekweizu, has given reasons why the party introduced an oath of loyalty for candidates, saying it is aimed at curbing defections by candidates after winning elections on the platform of political parties.

Enekweizu, stated this on Wednesday while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today anchored by Seun Okinbaloye. He vehemently dismissed and countered the claim which tends to suggest that the move was unconstitutional.

“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 stated.

“Any lawyer would know it is trite law that members of any association are bound by the provisions of that constitution. There are several decided cases on this… You can only test that in the law courts. At this stage, we have not gotten to that point. What we are trying to do is to learn from the mistakes of other parties.”

The NDC, which unveiled the move earlier this week, cited the need to protect the party’s institutional integrity by ensuring those elected under its platform stay loyal until their tenure ends.

According to the National Chairman of the NDC, Moses Cleopas, the decision was informed by the defection of elected politicians from the platforms on which they won their polls. He said these defections have weakened many parties.

Sharing a similar sentiment as the party’s chairman, Enekweizu explained that many lawmakers elected under the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections left that platform.

He said the NDC is “trying to prevent a situation where people see our political party only as a special purpose vehicle for winning elections. We are trying to build a party that will last and stand the test of time—where people do not just say, ‘Oh, because a particular person is contesting under this platform, let us go there, and the moment we win elections, we all leave.’ We won’t permit that in our party.”

He, however, said the NDC presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, and the vice presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, were exempted from the oath.

“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.

“We are more concerned about those elected into the legislative assemblies who get in there and defect within a year,” he said, adding that “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.”