NDC requires candidates to sign anti-defection oath before 2027 elections

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Nigeria Democratic Congress has rolled out a compulsory anti-defection framework. Governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly candidates must execute indemnity affidavits under this scheme.

National Chairman Mose Cleopa unveiled the initiative at party headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, positioning it as an institutional safeguard meant to protect electoral mandates and address the persistent phenomenon of politicians departing from their platforms following electoral victory. Candidates who execute such affidavits commit to surrendering their seats in the event they leave the NDC after winning election.

The NDC framed this requirement as safeguarding the sanctity of electoral mandates—resources that belong to voters and their chosen platform, not individual office-holders. Several prominent figures who recently joined the party before 2027 are expected to be affected, notably former Adamawa State gubernatorial contender Aishatu Binani.

However, sources reveal an important exception: presidential aspirant Peter Obi and his running mate Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are not subject to this requirement. Party Director of New Media Strategy and Communication Theo Agada clarified this distinction when discussing the policy framework.

Sources do not explain the party's reasoning for these exemptions. Cleopa presented the anti-defection framework as institutional discipline rather than punitive action.

He emphasized that elected officials frequently weaken parties by crossing to rival organizations after securing office, sometimes seeking to preserve their posts through alternate channels. The signed affidavits function as legal instruments that the NDC can deploy in court to enforce seat forfeiture should a signatory defect from the party.