INEC clarifies award of N434m contract to printing firm

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared the air on the controversy surrounding the award of a contract for printing election materials to Binani Printing Press Limited

.Binani Printing Press Limited has been linked to Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Adamawa. But INEC said she was not listed as a director of the company.

The contract, reportedly worth N434 million, was awarded for the printing of election results sheets and security documents for the general election

In a statement on Thursday, Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner and chairman, information and voter education, said the contract was handed out after competitive and transparent bidding.

He said INEC ensured that a due diligence inspection process was carried out and that the APC governorship candidate was not listed as one of the directors of Binani Printing Press Limited.

Our attention has been drawn to a news report that the commission awarded a contract for the printing of sensitive election materials to Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed. It was alleged in the report that she owns Binani Printing Press Limited,” Okoye said.

“Procurements in the commission go through open competitive bidding and Binani Printing Press Limited was one of the security printing companies that applied to print security documents for the commission.

After inspecting the company’s facility and carrying out due diligence at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the commission was satisfied that they are qualified printers with the requisite technical capacity, security consciousness and expertise in printing security documents.

“However, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed was not listed as one of the Directors of Binani Printing Press Limited.”

According to Okoye, INEC decided to print all the security documents for the general election in the country to help Nigerian printers and assist in growing the national economy.

The commission will continue to carry out due diligence in its procurement activities, he added.