An IEBC ballot box at a polling station during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election./FILE
A legal challenge has been lodged against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) over its tender for the supply, printing, packaging and delivery of ballot papers and election materials ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Mohamed Ali has filed a Request for Review before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB), challenging the commission’s decision relating to Tender No. IEBC/OIT/02/2026–2027.
The tender covers the supply, printing, packaging and delivery of ballot papers and election materials and was advertised by the electoral commission on or about August 11, 2026, with the deadline for submission set for September 1, 2026.
At the centre of the dispute is the mandatory technical evaluation criteria contained in the tender document.
According to the application, although the procurement was presented as an open international tender, Ali has raised concerns over the mandatory technical requirements that prospective bidders are expected to meet.
The applicant is seeking a review of the whole or part of the IEBC decision, arguing that the mandatory technical evaluation criteria warrant scrutiny by the procurement review body.
The application has been filed pursuant to the provisions of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations.
The challenge comes at a critical stage of preparations for the 2027 elections, with the IEBC already undertaking major procurements intended to ensure that election materials are available well before polling day.
The ballot-paper tender is among the commission’s major procurement exercises for the 2027 polls. The procurement process is expected to cover materials required for the conduct of the elections, placing the tender under heightened scrutiny from potential suppliers and other stakeholders.
The dispute also comes as the IEBC moves to procure other critical election infrastructure, including an Integrated Elections Management System and associated hardware used in voter identification and results transmission.
The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board has since notified the IEBC and the applicant that a Request for Review was filed on August 17, 2026, concerning the tender.
The commission has been pursuing an open competitive international procurement approach for major election contracts, allowing both local and international firms to participate.
The board will now consider the issues raised by Ali in relation to the tender and determine the way forward in accordance with the procurement law.
