The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has strongly criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegedly attempting to frustrate a legitimate Freedom of Information (FOI) request by demanding over ₦1.5 billion as the cost of producing the National Register of Voters and the list of polling units across Nigeria.
MRA described the amount as “outrageous” and a “blatant attempt to weaponize cost as a tool for denying access to vital public information.”
INEC, in a response to an FoI letter dated October 13, 2025, and signed by its Secretary, Ms. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, demanded ₦1,505,901,750.00 from a law firm, V.C. Ottaokpukpu & Associates, as the cost of processing the request for the documents.
Reacting to the commission’s demand, MRA’s Executive Director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, said the National Register of Voters and the list of polling units are among the most essential public records needed by civil society groups, political parties, election observers, and the media to effectively monitor the electoral process.
“By placing such a colossal financial barrier in the way of a requester, INEC is deliberately hindering the public’s right and ability to scrutinize its operations, thereby compromising transparency and avoiding accountability,” he said.
Mr. Ojo argued that the charge was excessive and contrary to Section 8(1) of the FOI Act, which limits fees to standard charges for document duplication and transcription.
“The staggering amount of over ₦1.5 billion cannot be a standard charge for duplication and is a deliberate attempt to make public data inaccessible. This is an affront to transparency and democratic accountability,” he said.
He cited guidelines issued by the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), which limit photocopying and printing fees under the FOI Act to a maximum of ₦10 per page.
MRA also referenced the 2017 African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa, which require electoral bodies to proactively disclose voters’ registers and polling data to enhance public confidence and transparency.
Mr. Ojo maintained that the National Register of Voters and list of polling units are already digitised and centrally stored, meaning that reproducing such information should attract minimal or no cost.
“If allowed to stand, this action by INEC sets a dangerous precedent, encouraging other agencies to impose exorbitant fees and effectively roll back the gains of the FOI Act,” he warned.
Following backlash over the demand, INEC clarified that the ₦1.5 billion fee reflects the “actual cost” of duplicating and transcribing documents, as stipulated by the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and the Commission’s internal guidelines.
The commission explained that the National Register of Voters contains 93,469,008 registered voters, with 16 names per page, requiring 6,018,661 pages to print.
It added that the list of 176,848 polling units as requested would require an additional 4,946 pages, bringing the total to 6,023,607 pages.
According to the Commission, the applicable charge of ₦250 per page, as approved under its Certified True Copy (CTC) guidelines drawn from Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022, resulted in the ₦1,505,901,750 total.
INEC maintained that the calculation reflected “only the actual cost of duplication and transcription” and did not include any extra charges.
“The commission remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of public resources,” the commission added.