The National Democratic Congress, NDC, has unveiled a stringent anti-defection policy aimed at preserving party loyalty and strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Speaking at a brief ceremony in Abuja, the National Chairman of the party, Moses Zuwoghe said the NDC was founded after a careful assessment of Nigeria’s political landscape and the persistent weakening of political parties through defections by elected officials.
Zuwoghe noted that unlike many parties established mainly to win elections, the NDC was created as a long-term institution designed to outlive its founders and remain relevant across generations.
According to him, extensive studies of successful political parties around the world influenced the party’s decision to adopt structures that would ensure continuity, discipline and ideological consistency.
He lamented what he described as a growing culture in Nigeria where politicians secure electoral victories on the platform of one party but later abandon the same platform after assuming office.
The NDC chairman cited the experiences of several political parties, including the Labour Party, where many elected officials have allegedly left the platform that brought them to office.
He argued that such actions weaken political institutions, undermine voters’ trust and erode the democratic process.
Zuwoghe announced that the party has resolved that all elected officials produced on its platform must remain loyal to the NDC throughout their tenure or relinquish the mandates secured under the party’s banner.
He stressed that the party ticket belongs to the political party and not to any individual candidate, insisting that elected officials cannot separate themselves from the platform that sponsored their election.
“Anyone who chooses to leave the party after winning an election under our platform must also surrender the mandate obtained through the party,” he declared.
The NDC chairman explained that the policy was adopted to prevent the collapse of political institutions and ensure that the party remains strong both in and out of government.
Providing the legal basis for the policy, the party’s National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Reuben Egwuaba said judicial precedents have consistently affirmed that political parties play a central role in elections and that candidates emerge through party structures.
He explained that while the Constitution guarantees freedom of association, including the right to join or leave a political party, such rights do not automatically transfer the electoral mandate from the sponsoring party to an elected official.
The legal adviser stated that the NDC has introduced a mandatory affidavit for all aspirants seeking elective office on the party’s platform.
According to him, every candidate must swear before a competent court that they understand and accept the party’s anti-defection provisions before their nomination can be processed.
He added that the affidavit will form part of the nomination documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stressing that the party is committed to enforcing the policy through lawful means and in accordance with the Constitution.
By Georgina Humphrey
