By Correspondent in Abuja.
A legal practitioner, Vincent Ottaokpukpu, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to nullify the ₦1.5 billion fee imposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the production of certified copies of the national register of voters and the list of polling units across the country.
Ottaokpukpu, in an application made under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, had on October 8 written to INEC requesting the production and certification of the documents covering all electoral wards nationwide.
However, INEC, in its response dated October 13, approved the request but demanded a total sum of ₦1,505,901,750 as the production cost. Dissatisfied with the assessment, Ottaokpukpu filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2228/2025, listing INEC as the sole defendant.
In his originating summons, the lawyer sought eight reliefs, including an order compelling INEC to provide electronically certified copies of the requested documents on external hard drives or via his email,Ottaokpukpul2@gmail.comat a fair cost to be determined by the court.
He also asked the court to quash the cost assessment contained in INEC’s letter of October 13 and its press release of October 16, 2025, describing the ₦1.5 billion fee as excessive, exploitative, null, and void.
Ottaokpukpu further prayed the court to declare the commission’s ₦250-per-page fee for Certified True Copies (CTCs) as arbitrary and unfair, arguing that it amounts to a denial of access to public information under the FOI Act.
In his supporting affidavit, the lawyer stated that he has represented several parties in election-related disputes and was acting in preparation for the 2027 general elections, as well as forthcoming off-season polls in Anambra, Osun, and Ekiti States.
He contended that, based on his experience, the actual cost of document reproduction in Abuja does not exceed ₦50 per page, and in bulk cases, the rate could drop to ₦30 or less. He also maintained that INEC already possesses the requested materials in soft and electronic formats, which should significantly reduce production costs.
Ottaokpukpu accused INEC of relying on an ungazetted internal guideline to justify its pricing and insisted that the commission, being non-revenue-generating, cannot impose such commercial charges on the public.
According to him, INEC’s 2025 budget, estimated at ₦126 billion, already covers overheads for computers, photocopiers, printers, and stationery, and therefore, the commission has no justification to transfer production costs to citizens at exploitative rates.
He urged the court to intervene, arguing that without judicial relief, he would be denied access to vital electoral documents by prohibitive costs. He also noted that providing electronic copies would save INEC time, human effort, and material resources.
The suit, filed in Abuja, has yet to be assigned to a judge as of the time of this report.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
