The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has introduced a new anti-defection policy requiring all aspirants and candidates seeking elective offices on its platform to sign legal documents committing to vacate their positions if they defect from the party after winning elections.
The policy was unveiled at a ceremony held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, where officials presented indemnity and affidavit forms that aspirants will be required to endorse ahead of future elections.
Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the party, Moses Cleopas, said the initiative was designed to strengthen party discipline, protect electoral mandates and discourage elected officials from abandoning the platform that sponsored their victories.
According to him, the policy will apply to candidates contesting presidential, governorship, National Assembly and other elective positions under the party’s banner.
“In our last NEC meeting, a motion was moved, supported and adopted, establishing that when we take over government, people elected on the platform of our party must respect the party’s instrument,” Cleopas said.
He noted that political parties often suffer setbacks when elected members defect after securing victories, adding that the new measure seeks to preserve the principle of party supremacy.
“One thing we have come to observe is that in the present polity, when people contest elections and win under political parties, they become gods.
And within the period they ought to serve, they will, on one minor excuse, dump the platform and perhaps move to the ruling party,” he stated.
Cleopas cited the experiences of opposition parties in recent years, arguing that several lawmakers and elected officials abandoned the platforms under which they were elected.
“A very typical example that we have all seen in the last three years is the Labour Party, where so many individuals won elections under the platform of the party.
Now, we are in another election cycle. Go and check their history. How many of the people who won elections under the Labour Party and were inaugurated are still members of the party?” he asked.
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The NDC chairman emphasized that membership of the party remains voluntary, but maintained that anyone seeking elective office under its platform must be willing to abide by its internal regulations and commitments.
“If you want to contest an election under the platform of the NDC, you are free to come. Nobody is forcing you.
But when you come, you should know that there are certain rules by which we, as a political party, guide our members,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, defended the legality of the policy , describing political parties as voluntary associations governed by agreed rules and regulations.
“A political party is just like a club, church or mosque where there are rules and regulations. That is why the 1999 Constitution, under Section 222, states that a candidate of a political party is merely an agent of the party,” Egwuaba said.
He argued that electoral mandates belong primarily to political parties rather than the individuals who contest under their platforms.
“So, if you are privileged to win an election after clinching the party ticket, that does not mean the mandate belongs to you,” he added.
Party officials said the affidavit and indemnity forms are intended to reinforce loyalty, ensure accountability and guarantee that elected officeholders remain committed to the party throughout their tenure.
The development comes amid increasing concerns over political defections in Nigeria, where elected officials frequently switch parties after elections, often triggering debates over party discipline, voter trust and the ownership of electoral mandates.