ADC to publish own 2027 election results, cites constitutional right
On Thursday, October 8, 2026, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) announced it will independently collate and publish polling-unit results for the 2027 general elections, asserting that this falls within its constitutional right to freedom of expression. ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said the party's agents will document results at polling units, its structures will collate the figures, and it will communicate verified numbers to the public while clearly identifying their source and status. The statement came in response to a warning attributed to INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan against sharing privately collated election results.
The ADC acknowledged that INEC retains statutory authority to announce official results and declare winners, but maintained that this does not prevent political parties or citizens from gathering and sharing election information. It cited Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, and noted that constitutional limitations do not abrogate the right to collate and share results. The party did not detail how it will verify the figures before publication or how it will address any discrepancies between its records and those released by INEC.
Why this matters: Parallel result streams could affect public trust in the electoral process, create confusion if figures differ, and test the boundaries of party oversight versus institutional authority. Voters, civil society groups, and media may need to decide which figures to rely on and how to verify them.
If you encounter differing tallies from ADC and INEC, what steps would you take to verify the numbers, and which source would you consider more credible?