The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, says its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, will not sign the party’s newly introduced anti-defection oath.

The party’s national spokesman, Ikenna Enekweizu, revealed this on Wednesday in an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

Enekweizu defended the legality of the measure, noting that political parties function as voluntary associations and their members are strictly bound by internal rules and constitutional provisions.

He also dismissed criticisms that the oath violates the country’s ground norm, stressing that the requirement to sign the affidavit is fully backed by the NDC constitution.

According to him, the party leadership has chosen to exercise administrative discretion to excuse its top two standard-bearers from the mandate.

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,” Enekweizu stated.

The party’s mouthpiece further stated that the primary target of the defensive policy is not the executive branch, but rather lawmakers who secure seats under the party’s umbrella only to defect to rival political movements shortly after taking office.

“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 added.

According to him, the NDC is committed to building a lasting, durable political institution and will actively prevent politicians from exploiting the platform merely as a temporary stepping stone to public office.

UGAMATV recalls that the party recently rolled out the policy to curb the rising trend of elected officials abandoning their sponsoring platforms, which leaders argue weakens political organizations and damages voter confidence.