The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into allegations of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database following the publication of information relating to actor Emeka Ike, a candidate in the recent NDC primaries in the FCT by Wike’s aide Lere Olayinka.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the commission said it was treating the matter with utmost seriousness and had commenced a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission became aware of allegations circulating on social media and in sections of the media regarding the alleged unauthorised access to its voter registration database and the subsequent publication of a candidate’s information.
INEC explained that authorised registration officers participating in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise were granted controlled access to specific parts of the registration system to enable voter registration, transfer requests, and updates to voter records. The commission stressed that such access is strictly limited to official duties and is withdrawn once the exercise ends.
Preliminary Findings
Preliminary findings from the commission’s audit trail have enabled investigators to identify the user account through which the information was accessed.
“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed. Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation,” the statement said.
INEC added that it is examining all technical, administrative and operational aspects of the incident to determine responsibility and establish whether internal access-control procedures were violated.
The electoral body, however, maintained that there was no evidence of an external breach of its systems.
INEC further clarified that the case involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not suggest any compromise of its wider voter registration infrastructure or the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters.
“The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the Commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters,” the statement noted.
Controversial Leak
The controversy emerged after actor and politician Emeka Ike accused Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, of exposing his personal information obtained from the INEC portal.
Ike, who contested the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat in the FCT under the Nigerian Democratic Congress, alleged that screenshots shared online contained sensitive voter registration information, including his application number, registration centre, Voter Identification Number, profile photograph, name and date of application.
Speaking on a television programme on Tuesday, Ike described the publication of the information as shocking and condemned what he termed political recklessness.
INEC urged members of the public and the media to avoid speculation while investigations continue, assuring Nigerians that the outcome of the probe and any actions taken would be made public.
