NDC’s Anti‑Defection Policy Cannot Halt Lawful Party Switches, Says Sam Amadi
The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, has criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for introducing an anti‑defection measure that requires candidates to sign legal pledges promising to vacate their seats if they leave the party after winning office.
Amadi argued that the party is trying to resolve a political issue by using constitutional interpretation, which he described as a flawed approach.
“The NDC cannot solve a political problem through constitutional interpretation. The NDC is trying to solve a political problem through a constitutional question, but that approach is flawed,” he said.
According to Amadi, any attempt to stop defections must stay within the limits already set by the constitution. He noted that politicians retain the right to change parties when their reasons align with the constitutional exceptions.
“It is not possible to lawfully exclude people from decamping if they believe their actions fall within the provisions of the constitution they signed,” Amadi added.
He concluded that if individuals choose to switch political parties and their motivations are covered by the constitutional exceptions, the law permits such moves.
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