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2027: You are banned from playing politics — FG to civil servants

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Ahead of the 2027 general election draws nigh, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has issued a stern warning to civil servants against engaging in political activities while in service.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday during the Quarterly Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement interactive session, Mrs Walson-Jack emphasised that civil servants must remain neutral and uphold the rules of the service.

Addressing concerns about a trending Supreme Court judgement, she clarified that while civil servants are allowed to be card-carrying members of political parties to protect their fundamental right of association, this does not permit partisan conduct.

Mrs Walson-Jack stated, “It’s an old judgement, and it is still very much in force.

But what that judgement said was that civil servants can be card-carrying members of a political party, just so that their fundamental human right of association is not denied. It went on to caution that civil servants must abide by the terms and conditions of their service.

“We all know a civil servant is supposed to be non-political. So your first responsibility is to be neutral, non-political, and do your job.”

She further warned, “You cannot go and be partisan. You serve the government of the day with neutrality. Anything contrary will be dealt with in accordance with the rules and regulations of the public service.”

 

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sowore
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Nigeria Needs Competent Leaders, Not Rotational Presidency – Sowore

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised Nigeria’s practice of rotational presidency, arguing that competence — not geography — should determine who leads the country.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Sowore said Nigerians are more concerned about having an effective leader than where such a person comes from.

“If I have a good president in Nigeria who can run this country very well, I don’t care where he comes from,” he said.

According to him, zoning the presidency based on region is counterproductive and undermines the principles of merit and fairness.

“That is what the majority of the Nigerian people are aspiring for. That is the idea of this federation — that all federating units should have an opportunity,” he stated.

He argued that the current arrangement often pits regions against one another, without guaranteeing that the best candidates emerge.

“When you zone it to the north, the majority of the northerners want to take a shot at it. When you zone it back to the south, the south is not just Yoruba or Igbo alone. It is senseless,” he said.

Sowore insisted that every presidential hopeful should be allowed to contest irrespective of their region, with emphasis placed on qualification, vision, and capacity.

Zoning the presidency to the worst character in the country is not going to make you get anywhere,” he warned.

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El-Rufai
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El-Rufai Struggle to Rally Opposition After Defection to SDP

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is facing political headwinds following the lack of traction surrounding his recent defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), particularly across Nigeria’s North-West region.

El-Rufai had on March 10, 2025, announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), attributing his exit to a growing “misalignment between his values and the direction of the party.”

Following his move to the SDP, the former FCT Minister pledged to unite opposition leaders and political parties into a strong coalition aimed at unseating the APC in the forthcoming general and bye-elections.

“Without prejudice to this decision, as a member of the SDP, I will focus on engaging with and persuading other opposition leaders and parties to join us and congregate under a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections and bye-elections between now and 2027, by the Grace of God,” he said in a statement issued shortly after his defection.

However, two months later, El-Rufai’s efforts appear to have yielded little success. Despite a series of meetings and outreach efforts, the SDP has reportedly failed to gain political presence or influence in any of the seven North-Western states—Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

Sources familiar with the situation disclosed that El-Rufai had made repeated attempts to woo political heavyweights in the region, including state governors and federal lawmakers, but was rebuffed at every turn.

“He reached out to key players, especially governors and sitting senators and reps, but none gave him a positive response. Not even a state assembly member,” a source familiar with some of the discussions revealed.

The source further disclosed that El-Rufai had approached Senators Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki in Kebbi State, but all three declined his offer and instead opted to join the APC.

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