The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed concern over alleged efforts to coerce Nigerian civil servants into registering for the All Progressives Congress (APC) through its ongoing e-registration exercise.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it had received multiple reports from across the country suggesting that public servants are being pressured to join the ruling party as a prerequisite for job security, career advancement, or continued access to their livelihoods.
Describing the practice as unacceptable in a democratic society, the party argued that forcing citizens to affiliate with a political party violates fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, including freedom of thought, conscience, and association.
The ADC warned that the APC’s e-registration exercise appears to be evolving into 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, labeling the practice as “state-sponsored conscription” rather than genuine political engagement.
The party also highlighted the threat such actions pose to the integrity of the civil service, which is expected to remain neutral, merit-based, and loyal to the state rather than any political party. According to the ADC, turning civil servants into partisan tools undermines institutional credibility and public trust in governance.
While the APC has promoted its digital membership register as evidence of growing support, the ADC dismissed this claim, noting that “databases do not vote; citizens do.”
The party stressed that figures achieved through intimidation may serve propaganda purposes but cannot conceal rising public alienation amid economic hardship, insecurity, and declining confidence in government.
The ADC called on authorities, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), labour unions, civil society groups, and the international community, to monitor the situation closely, warning that the alleged practice may constitute both abuse of power and violations of data privacy and human rights.
