ADC insists on releasing election results despite INEC warning

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the warning from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the sharing of privately collated election results, asserting that Nigerians are constitutionally entitled to gather, collate, and disseminate polling-unit results. According to a statement by ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party intends to deploy its agents and structures to document, collate, and make verified results accessible to the public during the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), in his cautionary comments, emphasized that the commission's responsibility ends with the declaration of official election results and the announcement of winners. The ADC, however, contends that its mandate does not impede political parties, candidates, or citizens from independently amassing and sharing election data.

The party maintains that its proposed collation system will not supersede INEC's official declaration, but rather, serve as a means to provide the public with access to results recorded at polling units. The ADC stresses that its intention is to empower citizens and political parties to exercise their constitutional rights to access, document, and communicate electoral information.

The issue of sharing independently collated election results has been a contentious topic in recent Nigerian elections, particularly as political parties, candidates, observers, and citizens increasingly utilize digital platforms to document and announce results in real-time.