The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into the alleged unauthorised access and publication of voter registration information linked to actor-turned-politician Emeka Ike.
The controversy emerged following a social media post by Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Olayinka had criticised Ike over his voter registration history, alleging that the actor initially registered in Imo State before transferring his voter registration to the FCT on May 15.
The post included screenshots that many social media users claimed contained information obtained from INEC’s administrative portal, raising concerns about the security of the commission’s voter registration database.
Reacting to the allegations, INEC, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, confirmed that it had commenced a thorough investigation into the incident.
According to the commission, it is examining claims of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database and the subsequent publication of information relating to a candidate who participated in a recent political party primary election in the FCT.
INEC stated that preliminary findings from its audit trail revealed no evidence of hacking, external intrusion, or unauthorised access to its ICT infrastructure. Instead, the information was reportedly accessed through legitimate user credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise.
The commission explained that while authorised registration officers are granted controlled access to certain aspects of the voter registration system for official duties, the information in question appeared to have been released without approval.
It added that investigators had identified the user account through which the data was accessed and had already questioned relevant personnel. The commission noted that all departments connected to the matter were cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
INEC further disclosed that it was reviewing technical, administrative, and operational procedures to determine individual responsibility and ascertain whether internal access-control protocols had been violated.
The electoral body stressed that the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not indicate a broader compromise of its voter registration database or the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters nationwide.
The commission also revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) had initiated a separate investigation into the matter. It pledged full cooperation with security agencies and vowed to take appropriate legal action against anyone found culpable.
INEC urged the public and media organisations to avoid speculation while investigations continue.
The controversy comes amid Ike’s recent declaration of interest in contesting the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat in the FCT under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
