ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched a formal investigation into allegations of unauthorized access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database. The probe follows reports that sensitive voter information specifically belonging to actor and politician Emeka Ike was leaked and published online.

The Breach: Internal Misuse, Not Hacking

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mohammed Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, clarified the nature of the security incident.

No External Breach: INEC’s audit trail confirms that there was no external hacking of its ICT infrastructure.

Internal Misuse: The commission identified that the sensitive information was accessed using valid user credentials assigned to authorized personnel participating in the CVR exercise.

Scope: INEC emphasized that the incident was limited to a specific voter record and does not suggest a compromise of the broader system or the personal data of the more than 90 million Nigerians registered in the database.

The Controversy: Emeka Ike vs. Lere Olayinka

The investigation was triggered by the publication of voter details linked to Emeka Ike, who recently contested for the House of Representatives seat for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the FCT.

The Allegation: Lere Olayinka, media aide to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, sparked controversy after posting images of what appeared to be Ike’s voter registration details on social media, claiming the actor had transferred his registration from Imo State to the FCT.

The Response: Emeka Ike has condemned the disclosure as "the height of political rascality" and has indicated he is prepared to pursue legal action against Olayinka for the unauthorized exposure of his private data.

Next Steps and Security Involvement

INEC has confirmed that its internal investigation is well underway. Relevant personnel have already been questioned, and the commission is examining all administrative and technical procedures to determine who authorized the release of the data.

Additionally, the Department of State Services (DSS) has independently commenced its own investigation into the matter. INEC has pledged to cooperate fully with security agencies and stated that any individual found culpable regardless of their position will face appropriate legal action.