NDC anti-defection oath will protect party mandates – Ikoawaji

A chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Asukewe Ikoawaji, has defended the party’s proposed anti-defection oath, saying it is aimed at protecting electoral mandates and preventing elected officials from defecting after winning elections on the party’s platform.

Speaking on ARISE News, Ikoawaji described post-election defections as undemocratic, insisting that mandates belong to the party and the electorate, not individual candidates.

“It is wrong and not acceptable. It’s undemocratic for somebody to take a mandate of a political party and move to another party,” he said.

According to him, politicians who choose to leave the party after winning elections should surrender the mandates secured under its platform.

“If you have our mandate, which is the mandate of Nigerians, and on your own decide to move the mandate to another party, you can go and leave the mandate,” he stated.

Defending the measure, Ikoawaji added: “It is not individuals that have been voted for, it is the party that has been voted for.”

He said the decision was informed by previous political developments in the country, noting: “We are looking at all these things and that is why we are coming out with this decision.”

The NDC chieftain also said the party was taking steps to protect its internal processes ahead of future elections.

“We are not also ignorant of what the ruling party and other agencies of government want to do,” he said.

While reaffirming that the party remains open to new members, he stressed the need for caution.

“We have an open door for everybody but at the same time we are conscious of what we are doing,” he stated.

Ikoawaji said the anti-defection oath forms part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and preserving the integrity of the party’s mandate.

“All these measures have been put in place so that by tomorrow Nigerians will have a fallback like NDC,” he said.

He maintained that the proposed oath is intended to strengthen party loyalty, safeguard the trust of voters and ensure that elected officials remain committed to the platform on which they secured their mandates.