The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr. Sam Amadi, has questioned the effectiveness of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s anti-defection policy, arguing that politicians cannot be legally prevented from changing parties if their actions are protected by constitutional provisions.
Amadi made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he reacted to the NDC’s latest move aimed at curbing political defections among elected officials.
The opposition party recently introduced a policy requiring aspirants seeking elective positions on its platform to sign legal undertakings committing to vacate their seats if they defect from the party after winning elections.
The initiative is designed to discourage the growing trend of politicians switching parties after securing electoral victories, a practice that has generated intense debate within Nigeria’s political space.
However, Amadi argued that the policy may face significant legal challenges because the issue of political defection is already addressed by the Nigerian Constitution. According to him, attempting to resolve what is essentially a political problem through contractual agreements or constitutional interpretation may not achieve the intended outcome.
“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,” Amadi said during the interview.
He maintained that elected officials retain constitutional rights and cannot be automatically barred from changing political parties if they believe their actions fall within the legal exceptions recognized by the constitution.
“It is not possible to lawfully exclude people from decamping if they believe their actions fall within the provisions of the constitution they signed,” he stated.
Amadi further explained that the constitution already outlines circumstances under which elected office holders may defect without losing their positions. As a result, he said any attempt to impose blanket restrictions could ultimately be tested in court.
His comments come amid growing discussions about party discipline, political loyalty, and electoral accountability as parties prepare for future elections and seek ways to reduce post-election defections that often alter political balances across legislative and executive offices.
