Politicians betray the people when they defect, says APC senator

Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, senator representing Katsina south, says political party defections undermine democracy and betray the will of Nigerians who elect their leaders in good faith.

Dandutse spoke on Wednesday during plenary, as the senate debated a bill seeking to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and enact a new Electoral Bill 2025.

He described the proposed amendment as “timely” and a crucial step towards building a stronger, more credible, and inclusive electoral system.

“This bill is timely and, for posterity reasons and for better success in elections in Nigeria, we have to look at the very fundamental issues that were left behind,” he said.

The senator said the new legislation must serve as a comprehensive reform that strengthens democratic institutions and restores public trust in the electoral process.

Dandutse argued that without clear laws to curb political defections, the mandate and will of the people are being “betrayed”.

“You cannot be elected on a platform and then defect without consequence. The mandate and the will of the people are being betrayed,” he said.

He called on the senate to ensure the new law addresses this issue decisively to protect the sanctity of the electoral mandate.

The lawmaker also proposed that all elections in Nigeria — presidential, governorship, and legislative — be conducted on the same day to reduce costs and enhance credibility.

“If, as lawmakers, we want this thing to work responsibly and efficiently and even to save cost for the country, it is very important to hold all the elections of various offices in one day,” he said.

Dandutse further urged that local government elections be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rather than state electoral commissions.

He said doing so would “restore credibility at the grassroots where the foundation of democracy should begin”.

The senator also called for a reduction in the number of political parties in the country, arguing that many registered parties “exist only on paper” and “create confusion in the electoral process”.

“The number of political parties in Nigeria is a lot. In this electoral reform, it should not be more than 10,” he said.

Dandutse urged his colleagues to examine every clause of the proposed bill carefully, thereby restoring confidence in Nigeria’s democracy and strengthening the nation’s global reputation.

“As leaders, if we want to restore the confidence of Nigerians and the dignity of our democracy in the international fora, we must look into these issues clause by clause,” he said.

He added that a credible electoral reform will “make Nigeria greater for the better and for the yet unborn generation”.

After extensive debates by senators, the bill passed second reading.

The proposed amendments include compulsory electronic voting, mandatory electronic transmission of results, early voting for essential workers, and the replacement of the permanent voter card (PVC) with alternative identification such as the national identification number (NIN) and passport.

The amendments also include provisions for diaspora voting, the creation of an electoral offences commission, and enhanced independence for INEC.