The state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Col. David Imuse (rtd), claims that the state governor Godwin Obaseki plans to coerce Edo state civil personnel into attending the PDP's presidential rally scheduled for next Saturday in Edo State.
Chris Nehikhare, the commissioner for communication and orientation, however, responded by labelling the APC as a party that has run out of ideas.
Ofure Osehobo, the APC's assistant publicity secretary, urged the governor not to declare Friday a work-free day so that civil servants may travel to the protest planned for Benin City, the state capital, on the grounds that doing so would violate the laws governing public employment.
He said the plot by governor Obaseki to hide under the Supreme Court judgment in the case of INEC vs Musa “cannot hold water because it did not anyway set aside or nullify rules 030422 and 030423 of the Public Service Rules.
“The extant rules bans civil servants, whether on duty or leave of absence from offering himself/herself or nominating anyone else as a candidate for any elective public office, indicate publicly his/her support of or opposition to any party, candidate or policy and engage in canvassing in support of political candidates”.
“Accordingly, in the overall best interest of neutrality, harmony, integrity and development of Edo Civil Service, all civil servants are strongly advised to reject and resist every attempt to drag them into partisan politics and endeavor to completely insulate themselves.”
Part of the statement by Nehikhare reads “We understand the APC’s unremitting fears which spring from the overwhelming acceptance that the PDP has succeeded in planting in the hearts of Edo people.
“The Edo APC Knows that even without any invitation, the state’s civil servants would love to show solidarity with the governor, beyond their rights of political association and freedom to express a political choice.
“And for your information, we have over 500,000 verifiable members of Edo PDP and for this rally, we are restricting the number to avoid the stampede.