NDC Exempts Obi

Author: Gist Correspondent

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has excluded its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from a newly introduced anti-defection oath designed to discourage elected officials from abandoning the party after securing office.

The party’s National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, disclosed the exemption on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended the policy amid concerns over its legality.

Enekweizu said the oath, which requires candidates contesting on the party’s platform to pledge loyalty, is backed by the NDC constitution and forms part of efforts to protect the party from the growing trend of political defections.

According to him, membership of a political party is voluntary and members are bound by the provisions of the party’s constitution and decisions reached by its recognised organs.

He maintained that the requirement was constitutional, arguing that associations have the right to set rules governing their members, provided such rules are contained in their constitutions.

While noting that the party’s constitution stipulates that all candidates seeking election on the NDC platform should sign the oath, Enekweizu said the party had exercised administrative discretion in exempting Obi and Kwankwaso.

“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 said.

The NDC secretary explained that the measure is primarily targeted at legislators elected into the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly, many of whom have switched political allegiance after winning elections.

“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 stated.

The party recently unveiled the anti-defection policy, describing it as a safeguard for its institutional stability and long-term growth.

Enekweizu said the NDC was committed to building a durable political institution and would not allow politicians to use the party solely as a platform to secure electoral victories before defecting to other parties.