NDC Cracks Down on Defections, Orders Candidates to Surrender Seats if They Dump Party

NDC Cracks Down on Defections, Orders Candidates to Surrender Seats if They Dump Party

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has introduced a tough new policy aimed at stopping elected officials from abandoning the party after securing victory at the polls.

Under the new rule, all governorship and National Assembly candidates seeking to contest on the NDC platform must sign an indemnity agreement pledging to vacate their seats if they defect from the party after winning an election.

The policy was unveiled on Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja by NDC National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, during a signing ceremony attended by aspirants and candidates preparing for the 2027 general elections.

According to Cleopas, the move is designed to protect the integrity of electoral mandates and curb the growing trend of politicians switching parties after being elected.

“The mandate belongs to the party and the people who voted through that platform. If you leave the party after winning, you cannot continue to hold the seat,” he declared.

He stressed that the policy is not intended as a witch-hunt but as a safeguard to ensure loyalty to the platform that made electoral success possible.

Cleopas pointed to recent political realignments across various parties, including the Labour Party, as evidence of why stronger internal measures are necessary.

Backing the policy with legal arguments, the NDC chairman cited both international and domestic laws, noting that while citizens have the freedom to join or leave political parties, such rights do not automatically guarantee retention of elective office after defection.

The party’s National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, also defended the measure, citing provisions in the NDC constitution which, he said, clearly establish that elected officials remain bound to the party under whose platform they were elected.

“If you resign from the party, you cannot retain the office,” Egwuaba stated, insisting that political mandates are inseparable from the party that secured them.This version is more concise, engaging, and suitable for a news blog or political affairs website.