ADC alleges APC forced civil servants registration through e-registration, warning it violates constitutional rights and threatens civil service neutrality
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of orchestrating what it described as forced registration of Nigerian civil servants into the ruling party through its ongoing e-registration exercise.
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The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who said the party had received consistent reports from multiple states across the country.
According to Abdullahi, civil servants are allegedly being pressured to register for the APC as a condition for job security, career advancement, or continued access to their livelihoods, a development the party described as alarming and unacceptable in a democratic society.
The ADC warned that compelling citizens to belong to a political party constitutes a gross violation of fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Freedom of thought, conscience and association are inalienable rights that no government or ruling party can grant or withdraw,” the statement said.
The party argued that what the APC describes as an e-registration exercise is increasingly resembling economic coercion and forced political membership rather than genuine political participation.
“A political party that truly enjoys popular support does not need to conscript citizens through fear, intimidation or the weaponisation of the payroll,” Abdullahi stated, describing the alleged practice as state-sponsored conscription.
The ADC further warned that the alleged actions pose a serious threat to the neutrality and professionalism of the Nigerian civil service, which it said is constitutionally required to remain loyal to the state rather than any political party.
It added that turning public servants into partisan tools undermines institutional credibility and erodes public trust in governance.
The party also dismissed claims that a growing digital membership register reflects genuine political support, insisting that figures generated through coercion cannot translate into electoral success.
“Databases do not vote; citizens do,” the statement said, warning that inflated membership claims may serve propaganda purposes but cannot conceal what it described as rising public alienation amid economic hardship, insecurity and declining confidence in government.
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The ADC called on the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, labour unions, civil society organisations and the international community to monitor the situation closely, warning that it may amount to abuse of power as well as violations of data privacy and human rights.
