CLARION NEWSCHANNEL TV : POLITICS
Abuja, December 11, 2025 – A powerful coalition of Nigeria’s foremost leaders has issued a direct ultimatum to the National Assembly: enact a law that automatically sacks any elected official who defects from their party, or risk the total collapse of public trust in the 2027 elections.
The demand is the centrepiece of a petition delivered to the Speaker of the House of Representatives by the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), a coalition led by political economist Pat Utomi, legal luminary Femi Falana, former minister Oby Ezekwesili, and former NLC President Ayuba Wabba.
The coalition states that the current epidemic of cross-carpeting, where governors and lawmakers switch parties after being elected, is a fundamental betrayal of voters. They argue that making defection a trigger for immediate loss of seat and a fresh election is the only way to restore integrity to the ballot box.
This call for urgent constitutional surgery comes amid a political climate marked by almost daily defections, particularly into the ruling All Progressives Congress, which the group warns is destabilizing democracy.
The petition paints a grim picture of an electoral system in crisis, citing “recurring insecurity, vote-buying, voter suppression, logistical failures and inconsistent deployment of election technology” as reasons why public confidence is now “at an all-time low.”
Beyond tackling defections, the coalition lays out a sweeping rescue plan for the 2027 polls. They demand the mandatory electronic transmission and real-time publication of all polling-unit results to eliminate tampering. They call for INEC’s full independence through direct funding and a forensic audit of its BVAS and IReV technology before the next election.
Crucially, they insist that all election disputes must be conclusively resolved in court before any winner is sworn into office, ending the current practice of governors and lawmakers governing while their legitimacy is still before the judiciary.
“The 2027 elections present a defining moment for our democracy,” the petition declares. “We must act now to rebuild public trust, strengthen institutions and protect the legitimacy of our electoral outcomes.”
The group offers to support legislators with technical expertise but delivers a sharp warning: failure to act on these demands will trigger a mass mobilization of Nigerian citizens for action.
With this petition, Nigeria’s civic giants have drawn a line in the sand. The credibility of the upcoming 2027 elections, they argue, now hinges on the National Assembly’s willingness to enact these radical reforms.
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Top Leaders Demand Law to Sack Defectors, Warn 2027 Elections at Risk
