The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced an investigation into the alleged unauthorized access and disclosure of information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
The commission’s reaction followed widespread reports and discussions on social media regarding the publication of voter registration information linked to Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike, who recently contested in the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Representatives primary election for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The controversy emerged after the media aide to the FCT Minister, Mr. Lere Olayinka, shared information indicating that Ike had transferred his voter registration from Imo State to the FCT on May 15, 2026.
The post reportedly contained screenshots displaying details such as the actor’s application number, registration centre, Voter Identification Number (VIN), profile photograph, name, and date of application.
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Reacting to the development, Emeka Ike described the disclosure as disturbing and indicative of political misconduct, stating during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that he was considering legal action over the incident.
In a statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC said it was treating the matter with utmost seriousness and had immediately initiated a comprehensive investigation.
The commission explained that authorized registration officers involved in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise were granted controlled access to specific aspects of the registration system to enable them process new registrations, transfers, and updates of voter records.
According to INEC, such access is strictly limited to official duties and is withdrawn once the exercise is concluded.
The commission disclosed that preliminary findings from its audit trail had enabled investigators to identify the specific user account through which the information was accessed.
It added that relevant personnel had been questioned, while all departments connected to the incident were cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
INEC further stated that it was reviewing the technical, administrative, and operational circumstances surrounding the incident to determine individual responsibility and identify any breach of internal access-control procedures.
The electoral body emphasized that its preliminary findings do not indicate any external breach of its database, hacking incident, or unauthorized access to its information technology infrastructure.
Rather, it said the information was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel participating in the CVR exercise, but those credentials were subsequently disclosed without authorization.
According to the commission, the incident relates only to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not suggest any compromise of the broader voter registration database or the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the security, confidentiality, and integrity of voter information, assuring Nigerians that appropriate action would be taken against anyone found culpable.
The commission also revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has independently commenced an investigation into the matter.
INEC reiterated that safeguarding voter data remains a top priority and pledged to maintain transparency throughout the investigation process.