The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has insisted that political parties and citizens have the right to independently collect, collate and share election results ahead of the 2027 general elections, despite a warning by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the private collation of results.

The party said it recognised INEC’s statutory responsibility to announce official election results and declare winners but maintained that this did not prevent political parties and citizens from gathering and sharing election figures.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said its position was based on the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

“We recognise that the right to freedom of expression has its limits, but those limits do not take away our right to independently collate and share election results,” the party said.

The ADC said it would deploy polling agents to document results at polling units, while its party structures would collate and verify the figures before sharing them with the public.

The party said its polling agents would record results at polling units, while its structures would collate and verify the figures before publishing them, with clear details of their sources and verification status.

“INEC’s responsibility to declare official results does not prevent political parties and citizens from independently collecting, collating and sharing election information,” the party said.

It said recognising the commission’s legal responsibility did not mean surrendering the right to gather and share such information.

“Although we recognise INEC’s responsibility to make official declarations of results and to declare winners of elections, that responsibility cannot reasonably abrogate the right of citizens to collect and collate election results and to share them,” the party said.

The ADC’s position follows a warning by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, against the sharing of privately collated election results.

The commission has maintained that the declaration of official election results and winners falls within its statutory responsibility.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, on Thursday, revealed that he had threatened President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Abiodun disclosed that he had threatened to deliver a minimum of two million votes to Tinubu from Ogun State in 2027.

He made this known in Abeokuta, the state capital, when the Ogun State Transport Unions Alliance endorsed Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, for governor.

The governor assured that Tinubu would receive votes en masse in the state, adding that his victory was assured.

According to Abiodun: “By the grace of God, our enemies have fallen down and we have vowed to beat them to death.

“Now let me give honour to whom honour is due, let me give appreciation to whom appreciation is due, let me ask you to join me in thanking our President, Bola Tinubu.

“I have threatened Mr President, how did I threaten him? I said Mr President, on behalf of all the sons and daughters of Ogun State, we will give you a minimum of two million votes.

“We will vote and he will be elected, all of us that came out today are like eight to 10,000 people and we all have wives at home. With 10,000 and having like five wives at home, that will be like 50,000; the election is concluded.

“On January 16, we will defeat them, come out en masse, bring out your wives, bring out your children and vote for President Tinubu.

“And by the grace of God he will be elected and we will vote for our senators which involves me.”