By Ismail Shuaib
ABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has demanded over ₦1.5 billion from a law firm seeking Certified True Copies CTCs of the National Register of Voters and details of all polling units across Nigeria, raising fresh debate about transparency and access to electoral data.
In a letter dated October 13, 2025, and signed by the Commission’s Secretary, Rese Oriaran-Anthony, INEC confirmed that it had approved the request made by V-C Ottaokpukpu & Associates under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 2011.
“The Commission has approved your request for a copy of the National Register of Voters for the entire country and the existing polling units in all the electoral wards in Nigeria pursuant to Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022,” the letter read.
But the approval came with a staggering condition. “You are hereby requested to pay the sum of One Billion, Five Hundred and Five Million, Nine Hundred and One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira only (₦1,505,901,750) being the cost of production of the above,” Oriaran-Anthony stated.
INEC further directed the applicant to make the payment through its Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) portal and present proof before the documents would be released.
The request covers the full National Register of over 93 million voters and a list of 176,848 polling units nationwide. Critics argue that the cost, set at ₦250 per page for over six million pages, amounts to a paywall on vital public information.
The development is already sparking questions about whether Nigeria’s electoral umpire is truly committed to openness. While INEC insists the charges are in line with law, civic groups say the figure is outrageous and capable of discouraging legitimate public scrutiny of electoral records.
