The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed it is investigating an incident involving the unauthorized access and public display of voter data from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database, following a social media controversy that implicated a political party’s media aide. The case centers on Nollywood actor Emeka Ike, who accused Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, of leaking his personal voter information from INEC’s administrative portal. The data, shared on Olayinka’s X (formerly Twitter) account, included Ike’s application number, Voter Identification Number (VIN), profile picture, registration center, and date of application, sparking widespread outrage and legal threats from Ike.
Ike, who contested the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the FCT, lost the race and has since stated he is prepared to take legal action against Olayinka. The aide claimed in his post that Ike had previously registered in Imo State before transferring his voter registration to the FCT on May 15. However, many Nigerians questioned the source of the information, suspecting it came from INEC’s internal administrative login system, which is meant to be secure and restricted to authorized personnel.
INEC has responded swiftly, stating it takes the matter seriously and has launched a full investigation. Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), explained that during the ongoing CVR exercise, only authorized Registration Officers are given controlled access to specific parts of the system to process registrations and transfers. He emphasized that such access is strictly limited to official duties and is revoked after the exercise ends.
According to INEC’s preliminary findings, the audit trail has identified the user account used to access Ike’s data. The investigation has revealed no external hacking or breach of INEC’s ICT infrastructure. Instead, the data was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel involved in the CVR exercise, which were reportedly disclosed without authorization. The Commission stressed that the incident involves only one specific voter record and does not indicate a wider compromise of the database or the personal information of over 90 million registered voters.
INEC also confirmed that all departments involved are cooperating with the probe, and the Commission is reviewing its technical and administrative protocols to determine accountability. Additionally, the Department of State Services (DSS) has independently begun its own investigation into the matter. INEC reiterated its commitment to protecting voter data and maintaining institutional integrity, pledging to take appropriate action against those found responsible. The incident has raised concerns about data privacy and political ethics, underscoring the need for stricter oversight of sensitive electoral information.
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