ADC accuses APC of forcing civil servants into party

By Jude Opara

The African Democratic Congress, (ADC), has raised the alarm over what it described as widespread and coordinated attempts to compel Nigerian civil servants to register for the All Progressives Congress, (APC), through its ongoing e-registration exercise.

This was contained in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

The ADC said it had received consistent reports from different parts of the country alleging that public servants are being pressured to register for the ruling party as a condition for job security, career progression, or continued access to their livelihoods.

The party described the development as unacceptable in a democratic society, warning that compelling citizens to belong to a political party amounts to a gross violation of fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to the ADC, freedom of thought, conscience, and association are inalienable rights that cannot be granted or withdrawn by any government or ruling party.

It argued that what the APC refers to as “e-registration” is increasingly taking the form of economic coercion and forced political membership.

“A political party that genuinely enjoys popular support does not need to conscript citizens through fear, intimidation, or the weaponisation of the payroll,” the statement said, adding that pressuring civil servants to register for a party they do not believe in amounts to what it termed “state-sponsored conscription,” rather than genuine party growth.

The ADC further warned that the alleged practice poses a serious threat to the integrity and professionalism of the Nigerian civil service, which it said is constitutionally expected to remain neutral, merit-based, and loyal to the state rather than to any political party.

The party noted that turning civil servants into partisan tools undermines institutional credibility and erodes public trust in governance.

It also dismissed claims that a growing digital membership register reflects real political support, stressing that databases built through coercion do not translate into votes at the ballot box.

“Databases do not vote; citizens do,” the statement said, adding that inflated figures achieved through intimidation may serve propaganda purposes but cannot conceal what it described as growing public alienation from a government struggling with economic hardship, insecurity, and declining public confidence.

The ADC called on relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), labour unions, civil society organisations, and the international community, to closely monitor the situation, warning that it may constitute an abuse of power as well as potential violations of data privacy and human rights.