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NDC mandates all candidates to sign affidavits against defection

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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has introduced a compulsory affidavit for all its candidates seeking elective offices, requiring them to forfeit their seats if they defect from the party after winning elections.

The national chairman of the party, Moses Cleopas, announced the policy during an indemnity signing meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

He stressed that candidates, including gubernatorial and presidential candidates, must depose to the affidavit.

Cleopas explained that the development was not a witch-hunt but aimed at protecting the sanctity of electoral mandates and curbing what he described as “post-election political migration.”

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He said the party would not tolerate situations where elected officials abandon the platform that brought them to office but seek to retain the mandate.

“The mandate belongs to the party and the people who voted through that platform. If you leave the party after winning, you cannot continue to hold the seat,” he said.

The National Chairman explained that the policy was intended to ensure candidates clearly accept the condition before contesting elections under the NDC, saying: “We are putting this in black and white. Once you take the ticket, you are bound by it. If you leave, you leave with the seat.”

Referencing political realignments across parties, including the Labour Party, he said such cases underscore the need for stricter internal safeguards.

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“In the Labour Party, we have seen situations where people won elections on the platform and later moved elsewhere. That is the kind of thing we are trying to stop,” he said.

On the legal basis of the policy, Cleopas cited provisions of both international and domestic legal frameworks, arguing that while freedom of association is guaranteed, it does not automatically extend to retaining elective office after defection.

He specifically referenced Section 14 and Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which he said guarantee political participation and freedom of association, including the right to join or leave political parties.

He also pointed to provisions of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), arguing that democratic rights under the Constitution must be balanced with party-based electoral mandates.

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According to him, elected officeholders are products of party nomination systems and therefore cannot separate their mandate from the platform that sponsored their election.

Explaining further, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Barrister Reuben Egwuaba, expanded on the constitutional argument, saying the NDC constitution itself contains enforceable clauses on defection.

He cited Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the NDC Constitution, which, according to him, establish that elected officials remain bound by the party platform through which they were elected.

“These provisions make it clear that once you are elected under the NDC, your mandate is tied to the party. If you resign from the party, you cannot retain the office,” he said.

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Egwuaba added that the affidavit requirement would serve as an enforceable legal undertaking binding candidates before they are cleared to contest.

“Without this affidavit, your name will not even be uploaded to the INEC portal. It is a strict requirement,” he said.

The legal adviser explained that the measure was intended to close what he described as “legal loopholes that allow post-election defections without consequence.”

He further said the policy aligns with the party’s internal disciplinary framework, which empowers it to demand resignation from members who abandon the platform mid-tenure.

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The NDC maintained that the new rule was necessary to strengthen party discipline, preserve voter intent and reduce what it called the “distortion of electoral mandates through opportunistic defections.”

Some gubernatorial and National Assembly candidates present at the meeting signed the affidavits before the end of the event. However, the presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had not come in for the signing, which was still ongoing as at press time.

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PDP Sweeps Adamawa LG Elections, Wins All 21 Councils, 226 Wards

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has recorded a sweeping victory in the Adamawa State Local Government Elections, winning all 21 local government chairmanship seats and the 226 councillorship positions across the state.

The results were announced by the Chairman of the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC), Mohammed Umar, at the commission’s headquarters in Yola, following the completion of the collation process.

The declaration was made in the presence of security personnel, election observers, representatives of political parties and ADSIEC commissioners.

According to Umar, the elections were conducted across all 226 wards in the state, with the PDP emerging victorious in every chairmanship and councillorship contest.

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However, the ADSIEC chairman did not disclose the total number of votes cast during the exercise.

He commended the people of Adamawa State for their peaceful conduct and support throughout the electoral process, describing their cooperation as instrumental to the successful conduct of the polls.

Umar also expressed appreciation to security agencies and other stakeholders for their contributions in ensuring that the elections were conducted peacefully and successfully across the state.

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Hours after Abuja Court ruling, another Court in Owerri rules against deregistration of party

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Confusion over the legal status of the Action People’s Party (APP) deepened on Monday after a Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State, ruled that the party was never deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite an earlier judgment by a Federal High Court in Abuja ordering its deregistration.

In the Owerri judgment, Justice I.N. Oweibo dismissed a suit seeking the removal of APP from INEC’s register of political parties, holding that the party remained a duly recognized political organization under Nigerian law.

The ruling came hours after another Federal High Court sitting in Abuja reportedly directed INEC to deregister APP and four other political parties for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements, creating what observers may view as conflicting judicial pronouncements on the party’s status.

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While the Abuja court’s decision focused on compliance with constitutional provisions governing political parties, the Owerri court examined claims that APP had already been deregistered during INEC’s February 2020 exercise and found no evidence that such deregistration ever took effect.

Justice Oweibo held that APP had secured a valid court order from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in 2020 restraining INEC from taking any action affecting the party’s status pending the determination of judicial review proceedings.

The court ruled that the plaintiff failed to establish that APP was ever lawfully deregistered and consequently dismissed all reliefs sought against both INEC and the party.

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New Delta Vision not a political project, but generational movement, Delta State’s ADC candidate Unuafe clarifies

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By Ojomah Austin.

The Delta State ADC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Emmanuel Unuafe, has charged party leaders, members and the people of Delta State at large to regard his aspirational ‘New Delta Vision’ campaign mantra not as mere political project, but “generational movement. It is a promise to our children, our communities, and our future.

It is a call to service, sacrifice, and collective greatness.”
Unuafe made this call in his Democracy Day message to party faithful, as campaigns begin to gather momentum.

“As we commemorate Democracy Day, I extend my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to everyone of you for your resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment during these challenging times,” he said. “The economic realities facing our nation have tested the strength and endurance of our people, yet you have remained steadfast in your belief that a better Delta State is possible.”

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He charged party faithful in the 25 LGAs and the entire people of Delta State to stand firm in the pursuit of justice, fairness, and progress.

He acknowledged the peaceful and coordinated protests regarding the INEC ward delineation exercise, which ultimately yielded positive results.

Dr. Unuafe’s vision for a transformed Delta State beyond it rural status stands him out as a professional in project management. According to him, “The massive transformation that lies ahead of us, one that our state has never witnessed before, can only be achieved through unity. Progress cannot flourish where division exists. Development cannot thrive where suspicion and disunity prevail. The Delta of our dreams will not be built by one individual, one community, or one political group. It will be built by all of us working together with a shared sense of purpose and destiny.”

He charged members to be steadfast, noting the greatest task was still ahead, as campaigns heat up towards the 2027 general elections. He sued for a united party devoid of rancour of divisions, so as to achieve the common goal of winning the governorship elections and bringing about massive transformation to a resource-rich but badly managed Delta State, with citizens experiencing acute lack in the midst of plenty.

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“The road to 2027 requires greater unity, deeper cooperation, and stronger teamwork than ever before,” he advised. “We must refuse to allow personal interests, misunderstandings, or differences to weaken our collective resolve. The mission before us is far bigger than any individual ambition. It is about restoring hope to millions of Deltans and creating opportunities for generations yet unborn.”

Like all great leaders across the world, Unuafe does not arrogate all knowledge to himself, but assured that he was prune to faults but also ready to accept higher reasoning and a listening ear to members’ concerns.

“Leadership is not about perfection,” he said. “I may not always get everything right in the first instance. There may be moments when my actions or decisions unintentionally offend or disappoint some of you. Whenever that happens, I humbly ask that you find a place in your heart to forgive me. Let us always choose dialogue over division, understanding over resentment, and unity over conflict.”

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