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| NDC Defends Loyalty Oath for Candidates, Exempts Obi and Kwankwaso |
NDC Defends Loyalty Oath for Candidates, Exempts Obi and Kwankwaso
The National Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ikenna Enekweizu, has defended the party's controversial decision to mandate a loyalty oath for its candidates, declaring the move constitutional and necessary to stop political defections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Enekweizu dismissed critics who argue the policy violates constitutional rights, asserting that political parties possess the legal authority to enforce internal regulations.
“A political party is like any other association. Every member is bound by the provisions of the party's constitution and the decisions of its authorities,” Enekweizu stated. “Within the NDC, the decision to require this affidavit is constitutionally backed.”
He noted that the policy was inspired by the mass defections that hit the Labour Party after the 2023 elections. According to Enekweizu, the NDC wants to prevent politicians from using the party merely as a "special purpose vehicle" to win elections before jumping ship.
Interestingly, Enekweizu revealed that the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, are exempt from signing the affidavit. He explained that the administrative waiver was granted because the party's primary concern is curbing the immediate defection of state and national lawmakers.