The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of mounting pressure on workers across the country to participate in the ongoing e-registration of the ruling party.
The ADC said the alleged practice was economic coercion and forced political membership.
Spokesperson of the ADC, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the caption is reportedly being coordinated by the APC’s national leadership, using it as a condition for job security, career progression or continued access to livelihood.
Abdullahi said “this is unacceptable in a democratic society,” and warned that forcing Nigerians to join a political party is against the Constitution and denied citizens of their fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience and association.
“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.”
The ADC said, apart from the political implications, the alleged practice poses a serious threat to the neutrality and professionalism of the civil service, adding that forcing public servants into partisan actors undermines institutional integrity.
