INEC Launches Probe Into Voter Data Leak, Identifies Account Used to Access Records

The Independent National Electoral Commission has opened a full-scale investigation into the alleged unauthorised release of voter information from its Continuous Voter Registration database after details linked to a candidate in a recent political party primary surfaced online.

The electoral body said it has already traced the user account through which the information was accessed and has begun questioning personnel connected to the incident as part of efforts to establish responsibility and determine whether internal procedures were breached.

Announcing the investigation on Tuesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission viewed the allegations with utmost concern.

“The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission has been drawn to allegations currently circulating on social media and in some sections of the media regarding the alleged unauthorised access to the Commission’s Continuous Voter Registration database and the subsequent publication of information on a candidate in the recent primaries of a political party in the Federal Capital Territory.

“The Commission takes this allegation seriously and has immediately commenced a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident,” the statement read.

INEC explained that personnel involved in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise are granted restricted access to designated sections of the CVR system strictly for official assignments such as new voter registration, transfers and updates of voter records. The commission noted that such privileges are temporary and withdrawn at the conclusion of the exercise.

According to the commission, preliminary forensic reviews of its audit trail have already provided critical leads.

“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed. Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation,” it said.

The electoral body said investigators were examining the technical, operational and administrative dimensions of the case to determine how the information was retrieved and subsequently released.

However, INEC stressed that its initial findings did not indicate any cyberattack or external compromise of its digital infrastructure.

“Preliminary findings from the Commission’s audit trail so far indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure.

“Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authority,” the statement added.

The commission further reassured Nigerians that the incident was limited to the retrieval of an individual voter record and did not affect the broader database containing records of over 90 million registered voters.

“The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the Commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters,” the statement said.

Reaffirming its commitment to data protection and public trust, INEC pledged transparency throughout the process.

“The Commission wishes to state categorically that it takes the security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to transparency, institutional integrity, and the protection of voters’ personal information,” it said.

The commission also disclosed that the Department of State Services has launched a parallel investigation into the matter.

“Furthermore, the Department of State Services, on its own accord, has commenced an independent investigation into the matter. The Commission will continue to cooperate fully with all relevant security agencies and will not hesitate to refer any person found culpable for appropriate legal action,” the statement added.

INEC appealed to the public and media organisations to avoid speculation while investigations remain ongoing, assuring Nigerians that the outcome of the probe and any disciplinary or legal actions arising from it would be disclosed in due course.

The controversy erupted after actor and politician Emeka Ike accused Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of improperly exposing his personal voter information.

Ike, who hails from Imo State, recently contested the House of Representatives election for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory under the platform of the Nigerian Democratic Congress but was unsuccessful.

The dispute intensified after Olayinka published information suggesting that Ike had transferred his voter registration from Imo State to the FCT.

In a post on his X account on Saturday, Olayinka stated that Ike was originally registered in Imo before relocating his voter registration to Abuja.

Attached to the post were screenshots that critics alleged originated from INEC’s administrative portal. The images reportedly displayed sensitive information including Ike’s application number, registration centre, Voter Identification Number, profile photograph, name and registration date.

Reacting during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Ike condemned the disclosure, describing it as both alarming and an abuse of political privilege.

He described Olayinka’s action as shocking and the height of political rascality.