The Federal Government has cautioned civil servants to remain neutral and avoid partisan politics as the 2027 elections draw closer.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, issued the warning on Friday in Abuja during the Quarterly Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement interactive session.
She clarified that although a long-standing Supreme Court judgment allows civil servants to be card-carrying members of political parties in recognition of their fundamental right of association, it does not permit them to engage in partisan activities.
“It’s an old judgement, and it is still very much in force,” Walson-Jack explained. “What it 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. But 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.”
She emphasized that neutrality and professionalism remain core obligations of civil servants and that breaches would attract sanctions under public service rules.