According to one source familiar with the development, the affidavit is being used as a political tool to enforce absolute loyalty to the party leadership and to prevent elected office holders from defecting to other political parties.
Intimidation and coercion have allegedly taken place within the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) following claims that the party's National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, and members of the party's national leadership are compelling candidates who emerged victorious in the party's primaries to sign a controversial Affidavit of Affirmation and Undertaking as a condition for retaining their candidacies.
Sources within the party told SaharaReporters that candidates who refuse to sign the affidavit are being threatened with replacement by individuals who did not win the party's primaries but are willing to execute the document.
According to one source familiar with the development, the affidavit is being used as a political tool to enforce absolute loyalty to the party leadership and to prevent elected office holders from defecting to other political parties.
The source said, "They are using it to replace many candidates who won primaries of NDC but refused to sign this affidavit, with people who did not win the primaries of NDC but are ready to sign the affidavit. What a dictatorship and tyranny of the highest order."
