Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, alleging a breach of his personal data and privacy rights.
According to TheCable, the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on June 15, 2026.
The legal action follows a controversy in May when Olayinka shared screenshots on X showing details of Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory. The information was reportedly obtained from a restricted INEC administrative portal.
Background to the dispute
The screenshots were published as part of a debate over Ike’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in Abuja after participating in political primary activities.
The post triggered public criticism, with many Nigerians questioning how voter information from a password-protected electoral database became publicly available.
INEC subsequently denied claims that its Continuous Voter Registration database had been hacked. The commission said the disclosure resulted from the misuse of valid internal credentials by authorised personnel rather than an external cyberattack.
The controversy also prompted an investigation by the police Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team, which reportedly questioned Olayinka and an electoral officer over the alleged leak.
Ike’s claims
Through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, Ike argued that publishing his voter information without consent amounted to a violation of his constitutional right to privacy and protections provided under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The actor asked the court to declare that INEC owed him and all registered voters a statutory duty to protect personal information from unauthorised access and disclosure.
He further argued that INEC’s June 2 press statement on the incident amounted to an admission that the commission failed to adequately safeguard his personal records.
Reliefs sought
Ike is seeking:
A declaration that his privacy and data protection rights were violated.
A declaration that INEC and Olayinka are jointly liable for the alleged breach.
An order compelling Olayinka to delete the social media post containing the screenshots.
A written public apology to be published on his X account and in three national newspapers for two consecutive weeks.
N10 billion in aggravated and general damages against both defendants.
The case is expected to test the scope of voter data protection obligations under the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the responsibilities of public institutions in safeguarding citizens’ personal information.
