Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and presidential flagbearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is pressing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for immediate clarifications regarding the unauthorized disclosure of data from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) system. Through his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku issued a statement on Tuesday demanding transparency.
The controversy erupted after reports indicated that sensitive voter information from INEC’s CVR database was accessed without proper authorization and subsequently leaked to political actors. While INEC has acknowledged the incident, it maintains that there was no external hacking or breach of its ICT infrastructure. According to INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna, the commission has launched an investigation into the matter.
Atiku, however, criticized INEC’s response, arguing that the commission’s admission that the data was accessed using valid official credentials and released without authorization only heightens concerns. He emphasized that the absence of an external hack does not lessen the severity of the incident but instead points to potential lapses in internal controls and possible political interference.
“The Commission has confirmed that voter information was accessed through credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise and that such information was released without authority. That admission alone should worry every Nigerian,” Atiku stated. He added that Nigerians deserve to know how restricted electoral data ended up in the hands of political operatives and their allies.
Atiku is calling for a full, transparent, and independent investigation to restore public confidence in the electoral process. He urged INEC to provide clear answers on the internal safeguards in place and how such a breach could occur despite official policies.