The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a statement regarding the unauthorized access and subsequent disclosure of voter registration data belonging to Nollywood actor Emeka Ike. The controversy erupted after Lere Olayinka, an aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, posted screenshots from the INEC portal showing Ike’s personal voter details on social media.
During an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Emeka Ike expressed outrage and vowed to pursue legal action against Olayinka. The actor had recently contested the House of Representatives primaries for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) but lost.
Olayinka had shared images on his X account claiming that Ike was previously registered in Imo State and transferred his voter registration to the FCT on May 15. The screenshots reportedly included Ike’s application number, registration center, Voter Identification Number (VIN), profile picture, name, and application date. Ike described this as a grave invasion of privacy and a new low in political behavior.
In its official response, INEC affirmed that it is treating the matter with the highest priority and has launched a comprehensive investigation. The commission disclosed that its audit trail has identified the user account through which the information was accessed, and relevant personnel have been interrogated. Preliminary findings indicate no external breach or hacking; rather, authorized user credentials were improperly disclosed.
INEC clarified that during the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, Registration Officers were given limited access to the system for official purposes only, with access revoked after the exercise. The commission emphasized that the incident involves a single voter record and does not compromise the entire database of over 90 million registered voters.
Additionally, the Department of State Services (DSS) has launched an independent investigation into the matter, underscoring the seriousness of the breach. INEC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding voter data and maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.