The long drawn controversy of how free civil servants should be in maters of politics rose again Saturday, this time in Adamawa State as the ward congress of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was being held.
While the Supreme Court has long reinforced the constitutional freedom for all Nigerians to participate in politics without hindrance, much to the joy of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC; civil service technocrats have frequently rejected such freedom.
As the PDP Congress was holding Saturday afternoon, the PDP Adamawa Ward Congress Committee, Chairman, Timothy Kataps, said in response to questions from newsmen that no Nigerian should under any circumstance hold two public offices at the same time.
Kataps, a lawyer and Secretary to the Taraba State Government, said while freedom of association is guaranteed under the law, civil servants who wish to contest elections must resign before doing so from any public office they may be holding.
“The constitution allows everybody freedom of association, which includes civil servants. You can belong to any political party, but when it comes to contesting an election, you must relinquish one. You cannot be a civil servant and at the same time seek elective office,” Kataps said.
He hailed the conduct of the party’s ward congresses across Adamawa’s 226 wards and expressed optimism that the congress, holding in other parts of the country, is part of the activities expected to make the PDP a better party nationally.
Speaking to journalists as his Committee concluded its monitoring of the congresses Saturday afternoon, Kataps admitted that the party is battling challenges at the national level, but expressed confidence that it would overcome them.
He said, “Yes, we are facing our fair share of challenges at the moment, some self-inflicted and others caused by those seeking to destabilize the party, but I can assure you, the PDP is a party that is deeply rooted in Nigeria.”
He said the party remains in the hearts of the people, and Nigerians love it, asserting, “The PDP will rise again.”
Civil servants who wish to contest elections must resign – Taraba govt official
