Aisha Binani
By Our Reporter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified its award of contract to the tune of N434 million to Binani Printing Press, purportedly owned by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa state, Aishatu Binani.
The contract documents signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, showed the award of the contract.The N434,372,649 contract was for the printing of election results sheets for the 2023 general election.
Debunking a media report in a statement issued yesterday, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed was not listed as one of the Directors of Binani Printing Press Limited.
He said the procurements in the Commission went 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. Okoye noted: “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 .“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.
”Okoye stated that the Commission decided to print all the security documents for the 2023 general election in the country to help Nigerian printers and assist in growing the national economy. He assured that the Commission would continue to carry out due diligence in its procurement.
