NDC INSISTS CANDIDATES CANNOT DEFECT WITH PARTY MANDATES
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has reaffirmed the principle of party supremacy, insisting that candidates elected on the platform of the party cannot defect to another political party and retain the mandate secured under the NDC. Speaking on the party’s position, the National Chairman of the NDC, Senator Morgan Cleopas, stated that every political party […]
Black News 
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has reaffirmed the principle of party supremacy, insisting that candidates elected on the platform of the party cannot defect to another political party and retain the mandate secured under the NDC.
Speaking on the party’s position, the National Chairman of the NDC, Senator Morgan Cleopas, stated that every political party must operate within established rules and regulations, stressing that candidates are merely agents of the political party.
According to him, votes cast during elections belong to the political party and not to individual candidates. He noted that all aspirants seeking elective offices on the platform of the NDC are required to sign an undertaking and voluntarily swear to an affidavit affirming their commitment to the party.
Cleopas explained that the measure is aimed at strengthening party discipline and ensuring that elected officials remain loyal to the platform through which they secured their mandates.
Also speaking, the National Legal Adviser of the party, Barrister Reuben Ekwuakwa, said the requirement applies to all candidates irrespective of the office being contested, whether President, Governor, or any other elective position.
He cited Article 15(06) of the NDC Constitution as the legal basis for the policy, adding that the National Working Committee (NWC) has resolved that any aspirant who fails to submit the required affidavit alongside nomination forms will not have his or her name uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
Ekwuakwa disclosed that several governorship candidates, including those of Gombe, Kaduna, and Borno States, have already complied with the directive by signing the required documents.
He maintained that the policy is designed to promote loyalty, strengthen internal democracy, and uphold the supremacy of the party in line with its constitutional provisions.
Ubong Usoro, Nigeria Magazine
