Nigeria, May 31 -- The National Assembly on Friday pledged urgent amendments to the Electoral Act to stem the rising tide of defections by elected officials, warning that the trend threatens Nigeria's democratic integrity.

Clerk of the Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, made the commitment at a symposium in Abuja honouring the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

He was responding to a passionate appeal by Yiaga Africa Executive Director, Samson Itodo, who decried the defection wave as a subversion of voter trust.

Itodo pointed to the April 23 defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former PDP vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa to the APC, which effectively dismantle...