NDC Requires Candidates to Sign Anti-Defection Affidavit

The National Democratic Congress has introduced a strict new policy requiring all its candidates for elective office to sign a compulsory affidavit committing them to forfeit their seats if they defect from the party after winning elections. The policy was unveiled during a signing ceremony on Tuesday, June 16, at the party's national secretariat in Abuja.

National Chairman Moses Cleopas announced the measure, which applies to all candidates, including those running for governorship, the National Assembly, and the presidency ahead of the 2027 general elections. Cleopas described the policy as a necessary safeguard to protect the sanctity of electoral mandates and to prevent what he termed "post-election political migration." He argued that the mandate secured at the polls belongs to the party and its voters, not solely to the elected official.

He cited recent political realignments, particularly within the Labour Party, as justification. "In the Labour Party, we have seen situations where people won elections on the platform and later moved elsewhere. That is the kind of thing we are trying to stop," Cleopas said. He stressed that the rule was not a witch-hunt but a clear...