Politics

ADC Raises Alarm, Alleges Forced APC E-Registration of Civil Servants

BySodiq Yusuf

PublishedFebruary 2, 2026

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over what it described as widespread coercion of civil servants across several states to register for the ongoing electronic registration exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that the action was being carried out under pressure from the national leadership of the ruling party, warning that it amounted to economic coercion and forced political membership.

According to the opposition party, reports from different parts of the country indicate a coordinated attempt to compel public servants and government workers to surrender their constitutional right to freedom of association as a condition for job security, career advancement, or continued access to their means of livelihood.

The ADC stressed that compelling civil servants to join any political party violates the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and undermines the democratic principle of free choice.

“It is important to reiterate that 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 that no government has the authority to abridge.

“What the APC describes as “e-registration” is increasingly beginning to resemble economic coercion and forced membership. A political party that truly enjoys popular support does not need to conscript its citizens through fear, intimidation, or the weaponization of the payroll.

“When civil servants are pressured to register for a party that they do not believe in, that is not party growth; it is state-sponsored conscription. This development also poses a grave threat to the integrity and professionalism of the Nigerian and state civil services.

“The civil service is meant to be neutral, merit-based, and loyal to the state and the country, not to any political party. Turning civil servants into partisan hostages undermines institutional integrity and erodes public trust in governance.

“We further warn that a database filled through coercion is a paper tiger. A digital register does not translate to genuine political support. Databases do not vote; citizens do.

“Inflated numbers achieved through intimidation may serve propaganda purposes, but they cannot disguise the growing alienation of Nigerians from a government that has failed to deliver economic relief, security, or hope,” Abdullahi stated.

The party called on relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), labour unions, civil society organisations and the international community, to closely monitor the situation.

Sodiq Yusuf

Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.