The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has compelled its governorship, National Assembly and other candidates for the 2027 elections to sign a commitment pact pledging loyalty to the party and agreeing to forfeit their mandates if they defect after winning elections.
The signing ceremony, held on Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, was presided over by the National Chairman, Dr. Moses Cleopas, and attended by members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and candidates from across the country.
Speaking at the event, Cleopas decried the growing trend of elected officials abandoning the parties that sponsored them after securing victory at the polls. He said the NDC was determined to enforce party supremacy and ensure that any elected official who defects relinquishes the mandate obtained on the party’s platform.
According to him, political parties are not mere vehicles for personal ambition, stressing that the NDC was established as a long-term institution that would outlive individual politicians.
“If you contest and win on the platform of the NDC, you cannot wake up one day and dump the party. If you choose to leave, then surrender the mandate because it belongs to the party,” he said.
The party’s National Legal Adviser, Barr. Reuben Egwuaba, explained that the pact was anchored on provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the NDC Constitution. He argued that political parties sponsor candidates and therefore retain ownership of the mandates secured through their platforms.
Egwuaba said the party would rely on the signed affidavit to challenge any elected official who defects, insisting that such officials must vacate their seats. He added that the policy would apply to all elected office holders, including presidents, governors and deputy governors.
He further disclosed that candidates who fail to sign the affidavit would not have their names uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal for nomination.
Governorship candidates from Sokoto, Kebbi and Kogi states, alongside several National Assembly candidates, signed the pact in the presence of the party leadership.
