NDC introduces affidavit rule to curb post-election defections

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has introduced a new internal policy requiring all its candidates to sign legally binding affidavits committing to surrender their electoral mandates if they defect from the party after winning elections.

The announcement was made in Abuja by the party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, who said the move was aimed at strengthening internal discipline and addressing the growing culture of political defections in Nigeria.

Speaking during the official signing ceremony of candidates, Zuwoghe said the party believes that electoral victories belong primarily to political platforms rather than individuals, insisting that loyalty to party ideology must be protected.

He explained that the NDC was established as a long-term political institution designed to outlive its founders and promote continuity, discipline and ideological consistency.

“Our goal is to build a political party that will outlive its founders and become a lasting institution for future generations. We cannot achieve that if elected officials freely abandon the platform that gave them victory,” he said.

Zuwoghe lamented what he described as increasing cases of post-election defections, warning that such practices weaken political institutions and erode public confidence in the democratic process.

Under the new arrangement, all aspirants seeking elective office under the NDC platform must sign an indemnity agreement and sworn affidavit before they can be cleared for nomination.

The party maintained that any elected official who leaves the party after winning an election must surrender the mandate obtained through its platform.

“Nigerians vote for political parties and their programmes. If anyone decides to leave our party after benefiting from its platform, that person should also surrender the mandate obtained through that platform,” Zuwoghe added.

The party’s National Legal Adviser, Barrister Reuben Egwuaba, said the policy is backed by constitutional interpretation and judicial precedents, arguing that candidates contest elections as representatives of political parties.

He explained that the affidavit will form a mandatory part of nomination requirements across all elective positions, including presidential, governorship and legislative offices.

Egwuaba, however, noted that the policy does not restrict the constitutional right to freedom of association, stressing that members remain free to leave the party at any time.

“What we are saying is that if you leave, you should also surrender the mandate that came through the party,” he said.

Party leaders said the initiative is part of broader efforts to reshape Nigeria’s political culture, strengthen party structures and promote accountability among elected officials.

The NDC expressed optimism that the policy would reduce opportunistic defections and encourage stronger ideological commitment among political actors ahead of future elections.