2027: NDC exempts Peter Obi and Kwankwaso from signing anti-defection oath

‎The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has exempted its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from its newly introduced anti-defection oath, despite insisting that all candidates contesting on the party’s platform are ordinarily required to sign the loyalty pledge.

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‎The party’s national spokesman, Ikenna Enekweizu, revealed this on Wednesday in an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

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‎Enekweizu defended the legality of the measure, noting that political parties function as voluntary associations and their members are strictly bound by internal rules and constitutional provisions.

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‎He also dismissed criticisms that the oath violates the country’s ground norm, stressing that the requirement to sign the affidavit is fully backed by the NDC constitution.

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‎According to him, the party leadership has chosen to exercise administrative discretion to excuse its top two standard-bearers from the mandate.

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‎“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.

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‎The party’s mouthpiece further stated that the primary target of the defensive policy is not the executive branch, but rather lawmakers who secure seats under the party’s umbrella only to defect to rival political movements shortly after taking office.

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‎“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.

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‎According to him, the NDC is committed to building a lasting, durable political institution and will actively prevent politicians from exploiting the platform merely as a temporary stepping stone to public office.

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‎The NDC recently unveiled the anti-defection measure as part of what it described as efforts to protect its institutional integrity and prevent elected officials from treating the party as a temporary vehicle for attaining political office.

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‎Party leaders have repeatedly cited the wave of defections that has affected several political parties in recent years as justification for the policy, insisting that the NDC is determined to build a lasting political institution rather than serve as a platform that politicians abandon after winning elections.

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