The candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, for the Nkanu West/Nkanu East Federal Constituency of Enugu State in the 2027 general elections, Ikechuckwu El-Shaddai, has charged the electorate to activate their constitutional rights to recall elected officials who decamp to other parties after their election.
He expressed hope that such a fate would not befall the NDC both at the state and national levels because the party had already made provisions to checkmate cross-carpeting.
El-Shaddai, who spoke with selected newsmen in Enugu, said NDC “is not a conglomeration of disgruntled politicians, but composed of men of proven integrity”. According to him, NDC had put in place strident checks to ensure that the party’s candidates abide by its non-defection rules.
Quoting him, “The process of our screening was critical and in-depth. The outcome of the exercise is to ensure that only candidates with credible track-records fly the flag of the party. The questions we were asked during the screening were backed by evidence. Also, a few weeks ago, NDC rolled out a circular mandating its candidates to sign an undertaking that if they defect after winning on its platform that they forfeit the seats. It is a safeguard that the party has put in place. The candidates know the consequences. I will not defect. If I do, I vacate the office. The greatest opposition are the people.”
He said recalling elected office-holders, especially lawmakers, that defect would halt the penchant of politicians decamping to other parties instead of focusing on good governance.
He said, “The power lies with the people. It is unfortunate that cross-carpeting is done with such ease in Nigeria. But the truth is that people have the right to recall. If an individual moves from one party to another, without following the due process, typically the seat should be vacated because the person was elected based on a platform. But that law is not being enforced. Indeed, there are rules against cross-carpet. Whether it is enforced or not is a different matter.”
The candidate also warned against alleged moves by the ruling All Progressives Congress at the state and federal levels to subdue opposition. “We are pro-democracy, and political spaces allow for balance. We are strongly against political monopoly. If you are very confident about your leadership, you should not destroy the opposition because through their voices, they put you to checks. We are talking about opposition because it is important to give people the right of choice.”
He expressed confidence that NDC would spring surprises during the 2027 general elections. “We are confident because we have the people on our side. It is not just a function of leadership, but because we are aligning because of the common pains that we share together.”
