The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to publish independently collated election results during the 2027 general elections despite a warning by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the dissemination of unofficial results.
The party argued that the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information permit political parties and citizens to collect, collate and share results recorded at polling units, provided such figures are not misrepresented as official declarations.
The ADC stated its position in a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, following remarks by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), cautioning against the publication of unofficial election results.
While recognising INEC's statutory authority to declare election results and determine winners, the opposition party insisted that the commission's powers did not extend to preventing citizens and political organisations from independently documenting the electoral process.
It disclosed that it would deploy party agents and utilise its structures across the country to record polling-unit results, collate the figures and disseminate verified information to Nigerians during the elections.
“We are aware of our rights to freedom of expression under the Constitution. We are also aware of the limitations associated with those rights. And we hold that our rights to collate and share election results are not abrogated by any of the limitation clauses,” the party said.
The ADC stressed that its proposed initiative would distinguish between results independently collected by its agents and those formally declared by the electoral commission.
“The ADC will share our collated results with the public. Our agents will document results, our structures will collate them, and we will communicate verified figures to the public, clearly identifying their source and status,” Abdullahi stated.
The party maintained that the initiative was designed to promote transparency and enable Nigerians to access information about results recorded at polling units, rather than undermine INEC's constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
It argued that the commission's authority to make official declarations should not be construed as a prohibition against the independent collection and dissemination of election information by other stakeholders.
“The responsibility to make official declarations of results and to declare winners of elections cannot reasonably abrogate the right of citizens to collect and collate election results and to share them,” the statement added.
The disagreement highlights a potential area of contention ahead of the 2027 elections, as political parties and other stakeholders continue to debate the rules governing the collection, verification and publication of election results.
In recent election cycles, digital platforms have become increasingly important channels for sharing polling-unit results, with party agents, candidates, observers and citizens using them to document voting and report figures as they become available.
The ADC maintained that independent collation could contribute to transparency by enabling citizens to compare information collected at polling units with figures subsequently announced through the official electoral process.
However, the party reiterated that its proposed system would not confer on it the authority to declare election winners or replace the formal collation and declaration process established by law.
INEC is responsible for conducting federal and state elections and declaring their outcomes in accordance with the applicable electoral framework.
The ADC said its decision to publish independently collated figures was an assertion of the rights of political parties and citizens to document and communicate electoral information, rather than an attempt to assume the commission's statutory powers.
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