'Forced APC Membership On Civil Servants, An Assault On Democracy' – Kwara PDP
...Cautions Gov. Abdulrahman, APC against intimidating Kwara civil servants
The Kwara State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) strongly condemns the disturbing notification issued to teachers and SUBEB workers in Oke Ero Local Government Area and other parts of the state, directing them to converge at their respective local government headquarters for compulsory registration into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Even more alarming is the reported threat that any civil servant who fails to present his or her Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) for this blatantly partisan exercise risks being denied salary payment for the month of January. This action represents a grave assault on democracy, a violation of constitutional freedoms, and a direct attack on the dignity, neutrality, and rights of the Kwara workforce.
In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party described the development as dangerous and unacceptable. It said Having realised that Kwarans have largely refused to participate in the ongoing APC membership registration exercise due to the present administration's all-round failures in governance, Governor Abdulrahman has now resorted to imposing his party’s membership on innocent civil servants.
The Kwara PDP notes that this issue goes beyond party politics and speaks directly to the fundamental rights of every Kwara citizen to freely associate without fear, intimidation, or economic coercion. Political party membership in Nigeria is voluntary, not compulsory. No law, regulation, or executive order, whether at the local, state or federal level empowers any government to force civil servants to belong to a political party as a condition for earning their lawful wages.
The use of official government structures and public officers, such as Education Secretaries at the local government level, to intimidate teachers and SUBEB staff into joining the ruling party amounts to a blatant abuse of office and a dangerous politicisation of the civil service. Public institutions exist to serve all citizens, not to function as recruitment centres for any political party.
We are also aware of undue pressure being mounted on some traditional rulers in the state to mobilise their communities for the APC. This represents executive rascality and a crude bastardisation of our revered traditional institutions. Palaces must not be dragged into partisan politics or converted into instruments of intimidation. Traditional rulers are custodians of culture, neutrality, and unity, not agents of political coercion.
A government that genuinely enjoys the support and goodwill of its people does not resort to threats, coercion, or blackmail to attract party members. If the Abdulrazaq administration is truly popular among Kwarans as they want us to believe, why are they coercing Kwarans into joining their party?
The Kwara PDP demands an immediate and thorough investigation into the abuse of office that led to this unlawful directive, as well as a clear public assurance that no teacher or civil servant will be victimised, intimidated, or denied salary for refusing to participate in the APC membership registration.
At the PDP, we believe that power belongs to the people, not to those who temporarily hold office. No government, therefore, has the right to weaponise hunger, salaries, or fear to force political allegiance on civil servants or any resident of the state.
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