ENUGU YOUTH GROUP KICKS AGAINST ALLEGED COERCION OF STATE CIVIL SERVANTS FOR A COMPULSORY APC E-REGISTRATION

...Cites Constitutional and Human Rights Violation

The attention of the concerned, vigilant, and democracy-loving youths of Enugu State has been drawn to disturbing allegations that the Enugu State Government has instructed civil servants across the state to compulsorily register as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under threat of job loss, intimidation, and workplace victimisation.

According to credible information available to us, the ongoing APC e-registration exercise in Enugu State, recently flagged off by the state government, has allegedly been accompanied by direct and indirect directives to heads of parastatals, commissioners, and senior officials across ministries, departments, and agencies to quietly enforce compulsory registration among civil servants. These officials are reportedly mandated to ensure compliance within their offices, thereby creating an atmosphere of fear and coercion within the state civil service.

This alleged abuse has become vividly evident as social media platforms have been flooded with screenshots and evidence of APC e-registration allegedly shared by Enugu workers, not as an expression of political belief, but as a subtle means of self-protection to avoid victimisation, harassment, or loss of employment. Such developments strongly suggest a breakdown of the neutrality and professionalism expected of the civil service.

We state clearly and without equivocation that this alleged practice is unconstitutional, unlawful, and a gross violation of fundamental human rights. Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended) guarantees every citizen the right to freely associate with others, including the right to join or refuse to join any political party or organisation. Any attempt to compel civil servants to register with a political party directly violates this constitutional provision.

Furthermore, Section 39 of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to hold political opinions without interference. Forcing workers to align with a political party under threat of job loss amounts to coercion and unconstitutional suppression of political conscience.

We also draw attention to Section 42 of the Constitution, which expressly prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the basis of political opinion. Victimising or threatening civil servants for refusing to register with a political party constitutes discriminatory treatment and an abuse of executive authority.

In addition, Section 17(3)(a) of the Constitution, which forms part of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, mandates the state to ensure that all citizens have equal opportunity to secure employment without discrimination or coercion. Weaponising public employment for partisan advantage directly undermines this constitutional obligation.

The civil service is, by law and tradition, meant to be neutral and professional. The Public Service Rules and established administrative norms forbid civil servants from being coerced into partisan political activities. Any directive compelling political registration or allegiance undermines the integrity of public institutions and erodes democratic governance.

The use of intimidation, threats, and administrative pressure to force civil servants to register and possibly vote for a particular political party represents a dangerous erosion of democratic norms and a clear abuse of state power. Enugu youths strongly condemn this alleged practice and declare that any attempt to convert public service into a tool of partisan enforcement will be resisted through peaceful, lawful, and democratic means.

This development is viewed as yet another alleged tactic by the state government to weaken opposition parties and manipulate the political landscape in Enugu State, contrary to the principles of pluralism and fair political competition guaranteed in a constitutional democracy.

We emphasise that this statement is issued not in hostility but in defence of democracy, justice, and the rule of law. We therefore call on the Enugu State Government to immediately halt any form of alleged intimidation of civil servants and to publicly reaffirm its commitment to constitutional governance and the political neutrality of the civil service.

We also urge labour unions, civil society organisations, and human rights bodies to rise in defence of Enugu workers and invoke constitutional safeguards to protect them from coercion and political victimisation.

Finally, we call on Enugu youths to remain calm, united, and vigilant. Our resistance will remain peaceful, constitutional, and people-powered. No government has the legal or moral right to force citizens to trade their freedom of conscience for economic survival. We stand for an Enugu State where political participation is driven by conviction, not fear.

— Comrade Kingsley Ejiofor Ekeuramah

President, Concerned Enugu State Youths (CESY)