ADC Raises Alarm over Forced APC e-Registration of Civil Servants

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ADC Raises Alarm over Forced APC e-Registration of Civil Servants

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a strong warning regarding reports that civil servants across several states in Nigeria are being coerced into registering for the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s ongoing electronic membership exercise.

According to the ADC, this practice amounts to economic coercion and forced political membership, which undermines the constitutional rights of public servants and threatens the neutrality of the civil service.

In a statement released by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed grave concern over widespread and consistent reports suggesting that government workers are being pressured by the APC’s national leadership to enroll in the ruling party’s digital register.

Abdullahi emphasized that such coercion compromises the freedom of association guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution, noting that no government has the authority to abridge these fundamental rights.

The ADC argued that what APC describes as “e-registration” increasingly resembles forced membership rather than voluntary participation. Abdullahi stressed that a political party with genuine popular support should not need to conscript citizens through fear, intimidation, or manipulation of payroll systems. He warned that compelling civil servants to register for a party they do not believe in is tantamount to state-sponsored conscription, which erodes trust in governance and undermines the integrity of the civil service.

The statement further highlighted that the civil service is designed to be neutral, merit-based, and loyal to the state rather than to any political party. By turning civil servants into partisan hostages, the APC risks weakening institutional integrity and diminishing public confidence in government institutions.

Abdullahi also cautioned that a database filled through coercion is ultimately meaningless, as inflated registration figures achieved through intimidation cannot translate into genuine political support. He noted that while such numbers may serve propaganda purposes, they cannot conceal the growing disillusionment of Nigerians with a government that has failed to deliver economic relief, security, or hope.

The ADC’s alarm underscores the broader implications of this development for Nigeria’s democratic values. The party insists that freedom of thought, conscience, and association are inalienable rights, not privileges to be granted or withdrawn by the ruling party.

By raising this issue, the ADC seeks to protect the sanctity of democratic principles and ensure that civil servants remain impartial actors in the governance of the country.