Why we can’t contract Nigerian firms in printing ballot papers – INEC

INEC

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has given reasons why the commission cannot engage Nigerian companies in printing electoral materials.

He gave the reasons during the 2017 budget defence before the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters on Monday in Abuja.

Mahmoud said most of the companies lacked the capacity to produce the materials while also stating that the commission was wary of disappointments.

“Yes we should look inward, but there are issues such as the volume you have to produce within a short time. If you engage local companies, you may realise that they don’t have the capacity to produce large number within a short period.

“There’s also the Nigerian problem. People will quickly go and register a patent and make claims. Some of the procurements are time bound. We can’t allow somebody to hold us to ransom. In fact, even on the card reader, some people were making claims.

“But this is without prejudice to the suggestion. We’ll find a way of encouraging local companies. The problem is the volume and time frame; there are places that are not motorable.

“The constitution says we have one week to do a rerun. If we have a constitutional crisis on one week to conclude an inconclusive presidential election, I’m afraid we may not meet up. Some places are not motorable at all. I didn’t know this until we conducted the last election in Abuja,” he said.

He said from the 2015 elections to date, about 24 different offices of the commission were gutted by fire nationwide, saying some of them appeared to have been deliberately burnt down.

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