The African Democratic Congress, ADC, says it does not trust the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to protect its votes in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this statement on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

According to him, the party is making arrangements to collate its votes, warning that INEC’s technical failures undermine trust.

“Don’t forget that I ran for Senate in the 2023 election. What many of us did, and not only myself, was that we trusted INEC when they told us there would be automatic transmission of results to the IReV.

“Then what happened afterwards? They said that, due to some technical glitch, the results could not be transmitted automatically to the IReV. So we have been beaten by that, and we are now twice shy. We say we will not allow it to happen again. We are no longer naive.

“We can no longer trust INEC to protect our votes for us. We are saying that we will vigilantly guard our own votes. We will protect our own votes.

“If the results at the end of the day reflect the true votes that came from the polling units, we will accept them. But if they do not, we are not going to accept them. We are making provisions to collate our own votes,” he said.

The Plateau government has disbursed N1.5 billion in intervention funds to victims of attacks across five local government areas (LGAs) of the state.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang formally inaugurated the disbursement of the funds on Monday in Jos.

Speaking, Mr Mutfwang explained that while N1 billion was an intervention donated earlier by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, N500 million came from the State Government.

He described the intervention as a practical expression of compassion, solidarity and shared responsibility towards families whose lives and livelihoods had been disrupted by violence.

He explained that the first phase of the intervention would focus on direct financial assistance to affected households, adding that subsequent interventions would support the recovery and rebuilding of communities.

“1,571 affected households in Bassa, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs have been selected for the first phase; this is the disbursement of funds to heads of households,” he said.

Mr Mutfwang thanked the first lady for the intervention, noting that the gesture demonstrated compassion and concern for citizens facing the consequences of violent attacks.

He said that the state government’s decision to contribute an additional N500 million was a reflection of its responsibility to support its citizens, particularly in moments of hardship and vulnerability.

“The true measure of this intervention will not simply be what happens within these walls today.

“Its real success will be seen when our communities are able to stand again, livelihoods are restored, families can return home safely and people can live together in peace and dignity,” he stated.

Mr Mutfwang reiterated the commitment of his administration to working closely with traditional rulers and security agencies to promote peaceful coexistence and support the rebuilding and recovery of affected communities.

Also speaking, Nentawe Yilwatda, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, thanked the first lady for the gesture.

Mr Yilwatda urged the beneficiaries to put the funds to good use.

He particularly advised them to invest in ventures capable of generating sustainable livelihoods.

Earlier, Kacholom Gang, the commissioner for humanitarian affairs in the state, said that the beneficiaries were selected through a structured identification and verification exercise across the affected LGAs.

She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of the intervention.

She noted that the government would continue to provide support to citizens of the state facing humanitarian challenges.

(NAN)