By Paul Joseph
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sounded the alarm regarding what it calls widespread and organized efforts to pressure Nigerian civil servants into registering for the All Progressives Congress (APC) through its current e-registration initiative.
This information was shared in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
The ADC reported receiving numerous accounts from various regions of the country indicating that public employees are being coerced into registering for the ruling party as a prerequisite for job security, career advancement, or continued access to their livelihoods.
The party condemned this situation as intolerable in a democratic society, asserting that forcing citizens to join a political party is a serious infringement of the fundamental human rights protected by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The ADC emphasized that the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and association are inherent rights that cannot be granted or revoked by any government or ruling party.
It contended that what the APC calls “e-registration” is increasingly resembling economic coercion and enforced political affiliation.
“A political party that truly has popular support does not need to conscript citizens through fear, intimidation, or the manipulation of payroll,” the statement said, adding that pressuring civil servants to register for a party they do not support constitutes what it termed “state-sponsored conscription,” rather than authentic party growth.
The ADC also cautioned that this alleged practice threatens the integrity and professionalism of the Nigerian civil service, which is constitutionally expected to remain neutral, merit-based, and loyal to the state rather than any political party.
The party pointed out that transforming civil servants into partisan instruments undermines institutional credibility and diminishes public trust in governance.
It dismissed assertions that an expanding digital membership register indicates genuine political support, emphasizing that databases created through coercion do not equate to votes at the polls.
“Databases do not vote; citizens do,” the statement noted, adding that inflated numbers obtained through intimidation may serve propaganda purposes but cannot hide the increasing public disillusionment with a government grappling with economic difficulties, insecurity, and declining public confidence.
The ADC urged relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), labor unions, civil society organizations, and the international community, to closely monitor the situation, warning that it may represent an abuse of power and potential violations of data privacy and human rights.
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