MRA Condemns INEC’s N1.5bn Charge for Voters Register Request

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The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of frustrating public access to information after the electoral body demanded over ₦1.5 billion as the cost of providing a copy of the National Register of Voters and the list of polling units in Nigeria.


MRA described the fee as “outrageous, illegal, and a deliberate attempt to weaponize cost as a barrier to transparency.”


In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday and signed by Mr. Edetaen Ojo, the group’s Executive Director, MRA said the demand was contrary to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, which stipulates that charges for information should be limited to standard duplication costs.


The statement followed INEC’s letter dated October 13, 2025, signed by Ms. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary to the Commission, in response to a request submitted by the law firm of V-C Ottackpukpu & Associates on October 8. INEC had asked the firm to pay ₦1,505,901,750.00 before the requested documents could be released.


Mr. Ojo argued that the charge was excessive and inconsistent with Section 8(1) of the FOI Act, which limits fees to the cost of photocopying or transcription.


 “The staggering amount of over ₦1.5 billion cannot be a standard charge for duplication,” he said. “It is a clear and deliberate attempt to make public data inaccessible and an affront to transparency and democratic accountability.”


He recalled that under the FOI Implementation Guidelines issued by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), the approved cost of duplication is ₦10 per page.


MRA also referenced the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa (2017), which require election management bodies to proactively disclose key electoral data, including the voters roll and polling unit details.


Ojo stressed that the voters register and polling unit list are public records critical to electoral transparency, and that the data are already digitized, making the cost of reproduction negligible.


He warned that INEC’s action undermines public trust and could set a “dangerous precedent” if left unchallenged.


“If allowed to stand, this move will encourage other agencies to impose exorbitant fees, effectively nullifying the gains of the FOI Act,” he said.


MRA therefore urged INEC to withdraw the demand and release the requested information either free of charge or at a reasonable cost consistent with the FOI Act and the Attorney-General’s guidelines.


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