ASABA/Nigeria: Ambassador Chuks Ododo has challenged Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori over remarks suggesting that civil servants have no choice but to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections because of the administration’s 13th-month salary package.
Oborevwori made the remarks on Thursday, October 22, during the inauguration of the Delta State APC Campaign Council in Asaba, where he unveiled “MORE Plus” as the theme of his re-election campaign.
The governor reportedly said the additional salary payment was substantial enough to influence workers’ political choices, declaring that civil servants had “no choice” but to support the party.
Reacting to the statement, Ododo argued that public servants remained citizens with constitutionally protected voting rights, regardless of the welfare benefits provided by the government.
“Civil servants in Delta State are citizens before they are employees,” Ododo said, insisting that no political officeholder could claim ownership of workers’ votes because an administration had approved a salary benefit.
He questioned whether linking the payment to electoral support risked turning a welfare policy into a means of exerting political pressure on public employees.
According to Ododo, the 13th-month salary should be treated as a workers’ welfare measure rather than an obligation requiring beneficiaries to support the governor’s party at the polls.
He also maintained that salaries and other benefits paid to public servants came from public funds, arguing that such payments should not be presented as personal favours for which workers must demonstrate political loyalty.
Ododo called on the governor to clarify the distinction between rewarding employees through a welfare package and suggesting that they were expected to vote for a particular party in return.
The ambassador further criticised the governor’s remarks on moral grounds, arguing that political leadership should be guided by respect for individual freedom and democratic principles.
He said Oborevwori should campaign on the achievements of his administration and allow workers to decide whether those achievements deserved another mandate.
“I believe the governor has done some good projects in the state, and those are what he should use to campaign. Let him present them to the people and let workers judge freely at the polls,” Ododo said.
He urged civil servants not to feel intimidated by political statements linking their welfare to electoral choices, stressing that the ballot remained a private decision.
Ododo also appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations to speak out in defence of workers’ political rights.
The controversy has raised questions about the relationship between public-sector welfare and political campaigning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor’s remarks, as reported by several media outlets, do not by themselves establish that an electoral offence has occurred. Any legal determination would depend on the applicable law, the full context and relevant evidence. However, the debate underscores the importance of ensuring that public employees can exercise their voting rights freely.
