The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has exempted its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, from its newly introduced anti-defection oath designed to discourage elected officials from abandoning the party after winning elections.
The party’s National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, disclosed this during a television interview on Wednesday while defending the controversial policy against criticisms that it could conflict with constitutional provisions.
According to Enekweizu, the loyalty oath is rooted in the party’s constitution and was introduced to address the growing trend of political defections, which have weakened several political parties across the country.
He argued that political parties are voluntary associations whose members are obligated to comply with their constitutions and decisions made by duly constituted authorities.
“Every member who subscribes to the membership of the party is bound by the provisions of the party’s constitution and decisions taken by its properly constituted authorities. Within the NDC, the decision to make candidates sign the affidavit is provided for in our constitution,” he said.
Responding to concerns about the legality of the measure, Enekweizu dismissed claims that the policy is unconstitutional, insisting that members of voluntary organizations are legally bound by the rules governing those organizations.
Although the party’s constitution requires all candidates seeking elective office on its platform to sign the oath, he revealed that the NDC had made an administrative decision to exempt its presidential and vice-presidential candidates from the requirement.
“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,” he stated.
Enekweizu further clarified that the party’s primary concern is not with governors or the president but with lawmakers elected on the party’s platform who later defect to rival parties after securing victory at the polls.
“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.
The NDC recently introduced the anti-defection measure as part of broader efforts to safeguard the party’s institutional integrity and prevent elected officials from using the party merely as an electoral vehicle before switching allegiance after elections.
The development has sparked debate among political observers and legal experts, with some questioning the constitutional implications of such loyalty agreements, while others view the move as a necessary step toward strengthening party discipline and ideological commitment within Nigeria’s democratic system.
Oath taking?
This is strange