The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled a stringent anti-defection policy requiring all candidates seeking elective offices on the party’s platform to sign affidavit and indemnity forms pledging to relinquish their positions if they defect after winning elections.
The policy was announced on Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and is expected to apply to all candidates, including high-profile members such as the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and other recent entrants preparing for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, NDC National Chairman Moses Cleopas said the measure was designed to safeguard the party’s electoral mandates and strengthen internal discipline.
According to Cleopas, the policy became necessary due to the growing trend of politicians securing electoral victories on party platforms only to abandon those parties after assuming office.
He explained that the decision was approved during a National Executive Committee meeting, stressing that elected officials must remain accountable to the platform that sponsored them.
“The NDC is not a vehicle for personal ambition. It is a political institution we intend to build and preserve for future generations,” he said.
Cleopas lamented what he described as a culture of political opportunism, where elected officials often defect to ruling parties or rival platforms after gaining office.
He cited the Labour Party’s experience following the 2023 elections as a key example, noting that many candidates who won elections under its banner later left the party.
“If those elected officials had remained with the party, its political strength today would be significantly different. Such experiences highlight the need for political parties to establish safeguards that protect their mandates,” he said.
The NDC chairman emphasized that while joining the party remains voluntary, anyone seeking its ticket must accept and abide by its internal regulations.
He stated that all candidates would be required to sign legally binding affidavit and indemnity documents before receiving party nominations.
“If you win an election on the NDC platform, the mandate belongs to the party. Anyone who chooses to leave should be prepared to surrender the mandate obtained through the party,” he said.
To facilitate the process, the party’s legal team has prepared the necessary documentation for candidates at all levels to complete and swear to before contesting elections.
Defending the policy, NDC National Legal Adviser Reuben Egwuaba argued that political parties are voluntary associations governed by agreed rules and regulations.
He referenced Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution, maintaining that candidates serve as representatives of their political parties and that electoral mandates should remain tied to the sponsoring platform throughout the duration of an elected term.
“Winning an election on a party’s ticket does not transfer ownership of the mandate to the individual candidate. The mandate remains with the political party,” Egwuaba said.
Despite the significance of the announcement, several prominent party figures, including Obi and Kwankwaso, were absent from the event.
Political observers view the new policy as the NDC’s attempt to prevent the wave of defections that has weakened several opposition parties in recent years.
Both Obi and Kwankwaso have belonged to multiple political parties during their careers. Obi has moved through APGA, PDP, Labour Party, ADC and now the NDC, while Kwankwaso has been associated with the PDP, APC, NNPP, ADC and the NDC.
Former Adamawa State governorship candidate Aishatu Binani is also among the party’s recent high-profile entrants, having transitioned from the APC to the ADC before joining the NDC in 2026.
