Commission says no hacking or external breach occurred; actor Emeka Ike’s record was accessed with valid staff credentials and released without approval
The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed that voter details of Nollywood actor and National Democratic Coalition House of Representatives aspirant Emeka Ike were accessed and leaked using official staff login details.
In a statement on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said early findings show no hacking or outside breach of the Continuous Voter Registration database. Instead, the information was pulled through valid credentials assigned to personnel working on the ongoing CVR exercise and then shared without permission.
The controversy began after Ike’s registration details appeared online shortly after he declared his bid for a seat in the FCT. The records were posted by Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, sparking claims that the data came from INEC’s restricted portal.
INEC said it launched an immediate probe once the allegations surfaced on social media and in the press. An internal audit trail has already identified the user account that accessed the record, and staff connected to the incident are being questioned. The Commission is now reviewing technical, administrative, and operational gaps to determine how internal access rules were bypassed and who should be held responsible.
Haruna stressed that the leak involved a single voter file and does not point to a wider compromise of INEC’s system or the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters. He added that registration officers are given limited system access to register new voters, process transfers, and update records, and that the Commission treats voter data security and confidentiality as a top priority.
The Department of State Services has also opened an independent investigation into the matter. INEC pledged full cooperation with security agencies and said it would refer anyone found guilty for legal action.
The Commission urged the public and media to avoid speculation while investigations continue, promising to release final findings and any sanctions in due course.
Emeka Ike, a Nollywood actor, is seeking the NDC ticket for the House of Representatives in the FCT ahead of the 2027 elections.