The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly coercing civil servants across several states to register for the ruling party’s ongoing e-registration exercise, describing the practice as unacceptable in a democratic society.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it had received widespread and consistent reports indicating that civil servants and government workers were being pressured, allegedly under directives from the APC’s national leadership, to enlist in the party’s digital registration drive.
The opposition party alleged that public servants were being compelled to surrender their freedom of association as a condition for job security, career progression or continued access to their livelihoods, a situation it described as economic coercion and forced political membership.
According to the ADC, compelling any Nigerian to join a political party amounts to a gross violation of fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including the freedoms of thought, conscience and association, which it said are inalienable and cannot be abridged by any government.
The party further argued that the APC’s so-called e-registration exercise was increasingly resembling state-sponsored conscription, stressing that a political party that enjoys genuine popular support does not need to rely on fear, intimidation or the weaponisation of the payroll to grow its membership.
The ADC warned that the alleged practice poses a serious threat to the neutrality, integrity and professionalism of the Nigerian and state civil services, which are expected to be merit-based and loyal to the state rather than to any political party. It noted that turning civil servants into partisan hostages undermines institutional credibility and erodes public trust in governance.
It also cautioned that a membership database built through coercion would amount to a “paper tiger,” arguing that digital registers do not translate into genuine political support. The party said inflated figures achieved through intimidation may serve propaganda purposes but cannot conceal what it described as growing public alienation from a government that has failed to deliver economic relief, security and hope.
The ADC called on relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), civil society organisations, labour unions and the international community, to take note of what it described as an apparent state-enabled abuse of power and a potential violation of data privacy and human rights.
