NDC Reveals Reason Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Were Excluded From Anti-Defection Pledge

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has declared that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, will not sign the party’s newly introduced anti-defection oath.

The party’s national spokesman, Ikenna Enekweizu, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

Enekweizu defended the legality of the measure, arguing that political parties operate as voluntary associations whose members are strictly bound by internal rules and constitutional provisions.

He also rubbished criticisms that the oath violates the country’s ground norm, stressing that the requirement to sign the affidavit is fully supported by the NDC constitution.

The party leadership has decided to exercise administrative discretion to exempt its top two standard bearers from the mandate, he said.

“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 does not include the presidential candidate and his vice,” Enekweizu said.

The mouthpiece of the party also said the main target of the defensive policy is not the executive branch but lawmakers who win seats on the party’s umbrella only to defect to rival political movements soon after taking office.

He added, “Our main focus is not the governor, it’s not the president, it’s the national and state assembly members that are elected on the platform of our party.”

He said the NDC was determined to build a lasting, durable political institution and would work hard to ensure that politicians do not use the platform only as a temporary stepping stone to public office.

Recall that the policy was recently introduced by the party to combat the increasing trend of elected officials leaving their sponsoring platforms, which leaders say weakens political organizations and erodes the confidence of voters.