ADC insists parties, citizens can independently collate election results

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has defended its stance that political parties and citizens possess the right to independently gather, collate, and share election results prior to the 2027 general elections, despite a caution from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against such private collation.

In a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC affirmed its recognition of INEC’s legal obligation to announce the official election results and proclaim the winners. However, the ADC argued that this duty does not negate the constitutional rights of political parties and citizens to independently collect and disseminate election figures.

The ADC posited that while the right to freedom of expression has boundaries, those limitations do not extinguish the right to independently collate and share election results. The party asserted its intention to dispatch polling agents to document the results at polling units, while its party structures would collate and verify the figures before disseminating them to the public, including clear references to their sources and verification status.

The ADC reiterated that acknowledging INEC’s legal obligation to declare official results does not entail relinquishing the right to independently gather, collate, and share election data. The party emphasized that despite recognizing INEC’s mandate to make the official declarations and name the election victors, this responsibility does not and cannot override the citizens’ rights to collect, collate, and share election results.

This position follows a warning issued by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, against the private collation of election results. The commission has maintained that the responsibility of declaring official election results and naming the winners is strictly within its legal purview. The ADC steadfastly maintains that its position does not undermine INEC’s statutory responsibility, but rather reinforces the citizens’ and political parties’ rights to independently collate and share election results.