The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has leveled a grave allegation against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that civil servants across several states in the country are being systematically coerced into registering for the APC’s ongoing e-membership drive.
The opposition party described the alleged campaign as “economic coercion and forced membership.”
The accusation was contained in a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
The ADC claimed in the statement that it was acting on “disturbing reports emerging from several states across the country” that indicate government workers are being pressured by the APC’s national leadership. The party asserts that public servants are being forced to surrender their freedom of association as a condition for job security and career advancement.
“Compelling any Nigerian to join a political party is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights, as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Freedom of thought, conscience, and association are not privileges to be granted by the ruling party; they are inalienable rights”, the statement read.
The ADC warned that the practice fundamentally undermines the neutrality of the civil service, which is mandated to serve the state, not a political party.
“Turning civil servants into partisan hostages undermines institutional integrity and erodes public trust in governance,” the party argued.
In a sharp critique of the ruling party’s methods, the ADC dismissed the value of membership rolls inflated by intimidation. “What the APC describes as ‘e-registration’ is increasingly beginning to resemble economic coercion and forced membership. A database filled through coercion is a paper tiger. Databases do not vote; citizens do”, the statement read.
The party called for immediate intervention from national and international bodies. “The ADC calls on relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), civil society organizations, labour unions, and the international community, to take serious note of what increasingly appears to be a state-enabled abuse of power,” it stated.
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