NDC's New Loyalty Oath: Loyalty or Control?

Just when we thought we had seen enough of Nigeria’s unusual political scene since 1998, new issues keep coming up. The latest comes from the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), which is now the political home of Peter Obi.

The party has asked its members to sign a loyalty oath. This is also known as an anti-defection measure. Ironically, the party is trying to stop what it and its members have done to other political parties in recent years.

This unusual political tactic may be lawful and common, but it carries a lot of moral issues. These issues involve key figures like Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi and their political journeys.

The party’s secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, explained the move by saying, "A political party is like any other association, and every member who subscribes to the membership of the party is bound by the provisions of the constitution of the party and decisions taken by the party’s properly constituted authorities. Within the NDC, the decision to make people sign that affidavit is provided for in our constitution."

He might be right in theory. But in practice, putting such a strict rule on party members can backfire. It might lead to internal conflict. Whether it feels like blackmail or pressure, it could scare away potential members who might see the party as cult-like.

There was a time when the PDP was very powerful. At its peak, it started a member revalidation exercise. The late National Secretary of the PDP, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, called it “shedding of excess weight,” like working out to lose calories. What followed was a disaster. The party fell apart and lost the presidential election in 2015 and is now mostly forgotten.

This new policy contradicts what political parties should represent. They should focus on a manifesto, explain how they differ from others, and show what they can offer. These ideas should be part of the party’s manifesto, not just about loyalty or defection.

Besides Senator Seriake Dickson, the NDC leader, Obi and Kwankwaso are known for changing parties frequently. Obi started with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) when he was governor of Anambra State. He later joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and became its vice-presidential candidate in 2019. By 2023, he switched again, moving to the Labour Party and running as its candidate.

While he was there, the LP fell apart. He then joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and finally landed at the NDC, where he is now the party’s candidate. How can he support a move to tie members down to one party in a country where switching parties is not a crime, and he has benefited from that practice?

Kwankwaso is also a party-hopping politician. He has moved from PDP to APC, to NNPP, back to ADC, and now to NDC. What should happen to him under the new rules of the rebranded NDC? Given the party-switching history of these two politicians, what right do they have to control others?

Another issue is that Obi and Kwankwaso are not required to sign the loyalty oath. This shows the big-man mentality in Nigerian politics. Leaders often think they are above the rules for party members. They act like all members are equal, but some are more equal than others. These warning signs show how their government might act if they win. It could lead to divisions in society based on wealth and power, with favoritism shaping their rule.

In Nigeria, political parties are often used by political elites and then discarded. The NDC National Secretary said the party aims “to prevent a situation where people see our political party only as a special-purpose vehicle for winning elections.

“We are trying to build a party that will last and stand the test of time, where people do not just say, ‘Oh, because a particular person is contesting under this platform, let us go there, and the moment we win elections, we all leave.’”

That sounds good, but we have not seen many exceptions in politics, not even among NDC leaders. Another problem is that NDC leaders have helped ruin other parties before realizing this new approach.

How many of their leaders are free from the same issues that have harmed politics and governance? When they are accused of corruption while in opposition, they switch to the ruling party, get support, and are treated like heroes. This cycle harms political growth and good governance.

In Britain, former prime ministers usually stay with their parties and help them grow. They do not leave the parties that helped them rise to power. Their experience often helps strengthen their parties instead of weakening them. That is how strong institutions are formed.

Despite concerns about the NDC’s new rules, there is a positive side. We should all support limits on defections in our constitution. Defections have harmed our country and damaged democracy. Only changing the constitution can bring order and trust back into politics.

We need to move forward as a nation. We need systems that hold elected officials accountable within one party while serving their constituencies and the country. We must stop political opportunists from misusing the trust given to them. The NDC might have pointed the way.