The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it demanded payment of N1,505,901,750 fee for Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the National Register of Voters and Polling Unit as requested by a law firm, Messrs V.C. Ottaokpukpu and Associates.
INEC made the explanation in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, Director of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC.
Eta-Messi explained that the amount represented only the actual cost of document duplication and transcription, in strict compliance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011.
According to the INEC Director, Messrs V.C. Ottaokpukpu and Associates had requested CTCs of the national register of voters for all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and existing polling units nationwide.
According to her, INEC received the request on Oct. 8 and responded on Oct. 13, granting approval while detailing the cost for processing and issuance.
Eta-Messi noted that the quoted amount had attracted media attention and public inquiry after the response was made public.
“INEC emphasises that the cost is strictly in line with Section 8(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011,” she said.
The section stipulates that a public institution may charge only the actual cost of document duplication and transcription when granting access to information.
She further explained that, under INEC’s Guidelines for Processing and Issuance of CTCs, authorised by Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022, the charge is N250 per page.
“For clarity, the National Register of Voters contains 93,469,008 registered voters, with 16 voters per page, requiring 6,018,661 pages.
“Additionally, printing details of 176,848 polling units across electoral wards nationwide will require 4,946 pages.
“The total number of pages for both requests is 6,023,607. At N250 per page, the total cost amounts to N1,505,901,750,” she said.
Eta-Messi stressed that the figure reflected only the actual cost of duplication and transcription, with no additional charges included.
She reaffirmed that INEC remained committed to transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public resources.
- NAN