APC Coercing Civil Servants To Register As Members, ADC Alleges

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged the coercion of civil servants to register as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the ruling party’s ongoing E- registration exercise.

The opposition party said the APC national leaders are putting the civil servants across the country under “economic coercion” to become members of the party against their will.

A statement on Sunday by the ADC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the development as a violation of the workers’ constitutional right to freedom of association.

Stating that the APC’s actions undermine the neutrality of the civil service, the ADC expressed deep concern over the “disturbing reports emerging from several states across the country.”

The party said, “These reports, which are consistent and widespread, suggest a coordinated attempt to compel public servants to surrender their freedom of association as a condition for job security, career progression, or continued access to livelihood. This is unacceptable in a democratic society.

“It is important to reiterate that compelling any Nigerian to join a political party is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights, as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Freedom of thought, conscience, and association are not privileges to be granted by the ruling party; they are inalienable rights that no government has the authority to abridge.”

The opposition party said what the APC describes as e-registration is increasingly beginning to resemble economic coercion and forced membership.

“A political party that truly enjoys popular support does not need to conscript its citizens through fear, intimidation, or the weaponisation of the payroll.

“When civil servants are pressured to register for a party that they do not believe in, that is not party growth; it is state-sponsored conscription.

“This development also poses a grave threat to the integrity and professionalism of the Nigerian and state civil services.

“The civil service is meant to be neutral, merit-based, and loyal to the state and the country, not to any political party.

“Turning civil servants into partisan hostages undermines institutional integrity and erodes public trust in governance,” it added.

The ADC warned that a database filled through coercion is a paper tiger, saying that digital register does not translate to genuine political support.

“Databases do not vote; citizens do. Inflated numbers achieved through intimidation may serve propaganda purposes, but they cannot disguise the growing alienation of Nigerians from a government that has failed to deliver economic relief, security, or hope.”

It called on relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), civil society organisations, labour unions, and the international community, to take serious note of “what increasingly appears to be a state-enabled abuse of power and a potential violation of data privacy and human rights.”