Commission insists charges reflect only actual duplication costs, not profit 6 million pages to be processed for nationwide voter register and polling units data.
By Reportcircle-Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a strong clarification following public uproar over the ₦1.5 billion fee charged for Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the National Register of Voters and details of polling units nationwide.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, Director of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC confirmed that the request came from Messrs V.C. Ottaokpukpu & Associates on October 8, 2025, and was approved on October 13, 2025, with the cost duly calculated under existing legal provisions.
The Commission explained that the sum of ₦1,505,901,750 was derived in strict compliance with Section 8(1) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011 and Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022, which peg CTC charges at ₦250 per page representing only the actual cost of duplication and transcription.
INEC disclosed that the National Register of Voters covers 93,469,008 registered voters, spread across the 36 states and the FCT, with 16 voters per page, amounting to over 6 million pages.
When combined with data for 176,848 polling units across Nigeria’s electoral wards, the total rises to 6,023,607 pages leading to the final cost figure.
“This figure reflects only the actual cost of duplication and transcription and does not include any other charges,” INEC stated emphatically, stressing its commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible management of public resources.
The clarification comes amid heightened media scrutiny and public debate over what many initially perceived as an inflated charge.
However, INEC insists the computation is purely procedural and legally grounded not arbitrary or profit-driven.
