Constitution Amendment: Showunmi proposes automatic loss of seat for defectors

Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

Segun Showunmi, the convener of The Alternative, has advocated for changes to Nigeria’s election and party governance structures to strengthen political parties, prevent opportunistic defections, and increase ideological accountability.

Recognizing that the constitution protects everyone’s fundamental rights, Showunmi emphasized the importance of identifying areas that need reform in order to enhance government, increase accountability, and promote equitable growth.

To avoid political tourists and guarantee that candidates are ideologically motivated and in line with their parties, he required that anyone running for public office must have been a registered member of a political party for at least four years prior to an election.

According to the PDP chieftain, every elected person who leaves his party should be forced to resign from office and be prohibited from running for office again for at least four years.

In a signed policy paper titled “Strengthening Political Parties as Pillars of Democracy,” which ZINGTIE was given access to on Friday, he made this claim.

He claims that the strategy will greatly lessen factionalism, encourage the implementation of policies in a logical manner, and hold elected people accountable to party manifestos rather than their own selfish interests.

The paper reads in part, “The proposed policy seeks to address gaps, ambiguities, and antiquated provisions while reinforcing democratic principles, the rule of law, and the separation of powers.

“The overarching proposed amendments to Sections 65(2)(b), 106(d), 131(c), and 177(c) of the Nigerian Constitution are meticulously designed to ensure that candidates vying for legislative and executive offices are rigorously vetted by their political parties in alignment with a system where parties, not “strongmen,” drive national development.

“Candidates running for elective public offices must: Be registered members of their political party for a minimum of four years preceding the election. Be officially sponsored by their party, subject to internal democratic processes.

“This justifies the prevention of political tourists and ensures candidates are ideologically driven and aligned with their respective parties.

“Any elected official who defects from their sponsoring party shall forfeit their seat, thereby triggering a by-election to fill the vacancy. Defectors shall be barred from contesting under another party for a minimum of one electoral cycle (four years).

“The objective is to replace personality-driven politics with party-based governance, ensuring candidates are accountable to their parties’ ideologies and manifestos. Mandate a four-year party membership and sponsorship requirement for eligibility, thereby discouraging defections for personal gain”.

In the meantime, he requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) implement nationwide campaigns to inform voters about party ideologies rather than personality hijacking, enforce penalties for non-compliance (disqualification), and use centralized biometric databases to confirm the length of party membership.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.