The director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts and loyalist of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Sam Amadi, has said that the NDC’s anti-defection policy cannot legally prevent elected officials from leaving the party if their actions are protected by the Constitution.
Amadi made the assertion on Wednesday while speaking during a live interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he reacted to the NDC’s newly introduced anti-defection policy.
The policy requires candidates seeking elective positions on the party’s platform to sign legal undertakings committing to relinquish their seats should they defect from the party after winning elections.
However, Amadi argued that the initiative attempts to address a political challenge through constitutional interpretation, a strategy he described as fundamentally flawed.
“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 him, no political party can lawfully prevent members from defecting if they believe their actions are backed by constitutional provisions.
“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 stated.
He further explained that the Constitution already provides circumstances under which elected officials may legitimately switch political parties.
“If individuals choose to change political parties, they are allowed to do so, provided their reasons fall within the exceptions outlined in the constitution. In such cases, the law applies as provided,” he added.
The NDC recently unveiled the anti-defection policy as part of efforts to curb the growing trend of elected officials abandoning the parties on whose platforms they secured victory at the polls. However, Amadi maintained that constitutional safeguards ultimately take precedence over party agreements.
