A Nigerian lawyer, Vincent Ottaokpukpu, has taken the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court, challenging the legality of a ₦1.5 billion fee imposed for providing certified copies of the country’s national register of voters and polling unit lists.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, argues that INEC’s demand for such a large sum constitutes an “unlawful barrier to public access to information” under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act of 2011.
Ottaokpukpu, who filed the case on 8 October, said he had requested the documents in preparation for upcoming elections, including the 2027 general polls. INEC responded on 13 October, granting approval but insisting that the applicant pay ₦1,505,901,750, citing a fee of ₦250 per page for 6,023,607 pages.
Describing the charge as “exploitative and arbitrary,” Ottaokpukpu is asking the court to declare the cost assessment null and void and to order INEC to provide digitally certified copies of the documents on external drives at a fair price.
In his affidavit, he maintained that INEC already stores its voter data electronically, meaning that reproducing the information should not incur such costs. He also questioned the legitimacy of the commission’s pricing policy, alleging that its guidelines for processing certified true copies were neither published nor officially gazetted.
“The demand of ₦1.5 billion is not only unreasonable but also effectively denies citizens their right to access public records,” he said. “The duplication cost for such material in Abuja should not exceed ₦50 per page.”
He further contended that INEC, which has a ₦126 billion budget for 2025, including funds for digital equipment, should not impose revenue-style charges on the public.
The lawyer requested that the court compel the electoral body to deliver electronic versions of the requested materials to his email after payment of a reasonable amount as may be fixed by the court.
The case is yet to be assigned to a presiding judge as of the time of reporting.
