2027 Elections: ADC Says It No Longer Trusts INEC to Protect Its Votes

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it will no longer rely solely on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to safeguard its votes during the 2027 general elections. ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the statement during an interview on Channels Television, citing concerns arising from the 2023 elections and recent reports of attacks on the party’s members. Abdullahi, who contested the 2023 Senate election in Kwara State, said candidates had relied on INEC's assurances that election results would be transmitted electronically through the commission's Result Viewing Portal (IReV). According to him, the difficulties experienced with the electronic transmission of results during the 2023 elections weakened the confidence of some political actors in the electoral process. “We are no longer naive. We've seen what could happen. Whether deliberately or inadvertently, we can no longer trust INEC to protect our votes for us,” Abdullahi said. He said the ADC plans to establish its own system for monitoring and collating results from polling units, which would allow the party to compare its records with figures eventually released by INEC. Abdullahi acknowledged that INEC retains the legal authority to officially collate and announce election results, but said the ADC intends to independently monitor the process and protect its own records. The comments come amid broader concerns raised by the ADC over political violence, alleged attacks on its members and the protection of opposition activities ahead of the 2027 elections. The party has called for investigations into reported attacks and greater protection for political participants. Source: Sahara Reporters original report