NDC’s desperate anti-defection moves and legal realities

From Adesuwa Tsan , Abuja
Few issues have weakened Nigeria’s political party system as much as defections. From the First Republic to the present democratic dispensation, politicians have routinely won elections on one platform only to migrate to another after securing office. The practice has contributed to the weakening of party ideology, voter distrust and the steady erosion of opposition parties.
It is against this backdrop that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled what may be the most ambitious anti-defection measure by any political party in Nigeria’s democratic history: a mandatory affidavit requiring candidates to surrender their seats, if they defect from the ...