Some Sokoto State civil servants have raised eyebrows over the state government’s order asking its workers with interest to contest public office to resign before midnight of March 8, 2022.
The State Head of Service Abubakar Muhammad on Monday issued the order in a circular, saying it was in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
The circular which went viral on social media got some of the civil servants wondering how the new law affects civil servants who are not political appointees.
According to section 84(10) of the Electoral Act as amended, “No political appointee shall be a voting delegate or shall be voted for at all levels of the political party conventions or congress.
“So I don’t know how the new law affects civil servants who are not political appointees,” one of the civil servants who gave his name as Muhammad noted.
Another civil servant who sought anonymity said he was not aware of the circular until after sunset prayer on Tuesday when he saw it on social media platforms.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Aminu Ahmad said the content of the circular is not well understood by them, that they would meet the Head of Service for clarification.
“We don’t understand what he meant by midnight. We must get this clarification before we can talk on the matter,” he said
The Head of Service said the decision was in line with the provision of the electoral law.
“But if we later realise that the law is not referring to civil servants, we will counter our earlier circular.
“It is not meant to witch hunt anybody. We just want to play safe,” he explained.
