NDC introduces loyalty oath despite leaders' history of party defections
The National Democratic Coalition (NDC) has mandated that its members sign a loyalty oath pledging not to defect to other parties, describing it as an anti-defection measure. Party scribe Ikenna Enekweizu states this requirement is provided for in the NDC constitution.
This development is striking given the political histories of NDC leaders. Peter Obi has moved from APGA to PDP to Labour Party to ADC before joining NDC, while Rabiu Kwankwaso has shifted between PDP, APC, NNPP, ADC and now NDC. Notably, both leaders appear to have been exempted from signing the oath themselves, leading critics to label the measure hypocritical.
The policy has drawn warnings that it could trigger internal rebellion and drive away potential members who may view the party as cult-like. Critics argue that instead of party-level loyalty oaths, Nigeria needs constitutional restrictions on defection to address systemic political instability. They point to past failures like the PDP's member revalidation exercise—which its late National Secretary termed "shedding of excess weight"—that preceded the party's electoral decline in 2015.
The article contends that building enduring political institutions requires leaders who remain committed to their parties rather than treating them as special-purpose vehicles for personal ambition, contrasting Nigeria's pattern with British prime ministers who typically stay with their parties after leaving office.