The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has implemented a new anti-defection policy requiring all candidates seeking elective positions on its platform to sign affidavit and indemnity forms before collecting their nomination tickets. The rule, announced on Tuesday at the party's national secretariat in Abuja, mandates that any candidate elected under the NDC must vacate their seat if they defect to another party before the end of their term. National Chairman Moses Cleopas said the policy was approved by the party's National Executive Committee to protect the party's mandate and enforce internal discipline. He cited the Labour Party's post-2023 experience, where several elected officials left the party, as a key reason for the move. Cleopas stated that politicians elected under a party platform should not treat their positions as personal property or abandon the party for minor disagreements. "This is not just a party for one man to rise and achieve his ambitions and do anything he likes with the party," he said. "This is a political party that we desire to groom and hand over to the next generation." The chairman emphasized that while no one was being forced to join the NDC, those who chose to run under its banner must abide by its rules. All candidates, regardless of the office they are contesting, must now sign the binding documents before being allowed to fly the party's flag. Despite the policy's significance, prominent members including presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso were not present at the event.
Moses Cleopas demands loyalty from candidates while failing to secure the presence of the party's top two figures at the policy launch. If Obi and Kwankwaso, the party's highest-profile members, did not attend, it raises questions about their commitment to the rules they are expected to uphold. The rule is meant to prevent elected officials from abandoning the party, yet its rollout appears to lack buy-in from those it would most apply to. Without their participation, the policy risks being seen as symbolic rather than enforceable.
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