NDC Makes All Candidates Sign Loyalty Affidavits — Except Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has made a bold move ahead of the 2027 elections: every candidate running on its platform must sign an oath of loyalty — except the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The party's National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, defended the decision on Wednesday's edition of Channels Television's Politics Today. He said the affidavit is meant to stop the flood of defections that has weakened other parties.

“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,” Enekweizu said.

He argued that the move is fully constitutional. “Any lawyer would know it's trite law that members of any association are bound by the provisions of that constitution. There are several decided cases on this… You can only test that in the law courts. At this stage, we haven't gotten to that point.”

The NDC unveiled the loyalty affidavit earlier this week. National Chairman Moses Cleopas explained that the party is trying to learn from the mistakes of others. He pointed to the Labour Party (LP), which lost many of its lawmakers after the 2023 elections to defections.

Enekweizu echoed that sentiment. He said the NDC is “trying to prevent a situation where people see our political party only as a special purpose vehicle for winning elections. We're trying to build a party that will last and stand the test of time—where people don't just say, ‘Oh, because a particular person is contesting under this platform, let's go there, and the moment we win elections, we all leave.’”

So why are Obi and Kwankwaso exempted? Enekweizu explained that the party's constitution says everybody running under its platform must sign. But the party took an administrative decision to exempt the presidential candidate and his vice.

“We're more concerned about those elected into the legislative assemblies who get in there and defect within a year,” he said. “Our main focus isn't the governor; it's not the president, it's the national and state assembly members elected on the platform of our party.”

The exemption is striking because Obi and Kwankwaso are the biggest names on the NDC ticket. Obi ran as the Labour Party's presidential candidate in 2023 and came third, pulling massive support from young Nigerians. Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, ran under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the same election.

Both men later joined forces with the NDC, which was formed in 2024 by a coalition of opposition figures. The party is positioning itself as a third force ahead of the 2027 election.

But critics say the loyalty oath raises questions about internal democracy. Some legal experts argue it could be challenged in court as a restriction on lawmakers' freedom to change parties. The Nigerian Constitution allows defection only if there is a division in the party the lawmaker was elected under.

Enekweizu acknowledged that the policy could face a legal test. “You can only test that in the law courts,” he said. “At this stage, we haven't gotten to that point.”

For now, the NDC is betting that the affidavit will keep its elected members in line. Whether it works — or whether it scares off candidates — will become clear as the 2027 elections approach.