Obi, Kwankwaso Granted Exemption as NDC Enforces Loyalty Oath for Candidates

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has exempted its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, from signing the party’s newly adopted anti-defection oath, despite a constitutional provision requiring candidates on its platform to do so.

The disclosure was made by the party’s National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, where he defended the controversial policy against allegations of unconstitutionality.

Enekweizu said the oath of loyalty is backed by the party’s constitution and was introduced to shield the NDC from the wave of defections that has weakened several political parties across the country.

“First and foremost, a political party is like any other association, and every member who subscribes to the membership of the party is bound by the provisions of the constitution of the party and decisions taken by the party’s properly constituted authorities. Within NDC, the decision to make people sign that affidavit is provided for in our constitution,” he said.

Responding to concerns over the legality of the policy, he argued that members of voluntary organisations are bound by the rules and decisions of those organisations.

While stressing that the party constitution mandates all candidates to sign the affidavit, Enekweizu revealed that the NDC leadership had decided to exclude Obi and Kwankwaso from the requirement.

“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 stated.

He clarified that the measure is mainly targeted at legislators who secure election victories on the party’s platform and later defect.

“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 said.

The anti-defection policy was recently unveiled by the NDC as part of efforts to preserve party cohesion and institutional strength. The leadership cited repeated cases of elected officials abandoning the parties under which they were elected as a key reason for introducing the measure.

Enekweizu said the party remains focused on building a sustainable political structure and preventing politicians from treating it merely as a vehicle for election victories before moving to other platforms.

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