The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into allegations of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database after details linked to a candidate in a recent political party primary election in Abuja surfaced online.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission is treating the matter as a serious breach and has begun a comprehensive probe.
The controversy follows the circulation of voter information connected to actor and politician Emeka Ike, who contested the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat under the Nigerian Democratic Congress.
Haruna said preliminary findings from INEC’s audit trail had enabled investigators to identify the user account through which the information was accessed.
“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed,” he said, adding that relevant personnel had been questioned and were cooperating with the investigation.
INEC explained that authorised registration officers participating in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise are granted controlled access to specific parts of the registration system for voter registration, transfer requests and record updates. Such access, it said, is strictly tied to official duties and withdrawn once the exercise ends.
The commission stressed that initial findings showed there was no hacking incident or external breach of its systems.
According to INEC, the information was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel involved in the CVR exercise but was subsequently released without authorisation.
The electoral body also sought to reassure Nigerians that the incident involved only a specific voter record and did not compromise the broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters.
INEC said it is examining the technical, administrative and operational dimensions of the case to determine accountability and establish whether internal access-control procedures were violated.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding voter information, maintaining transparency and protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral systems.
It also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has independently commenced an investigation and that anyone found culpable will face appropriate legal action.
The development comes days after Lere Olayinka, media aide to Nyesom Wike, faced criticism for sharing screenshots that appeared to contain voter information relating to Ike from an INEC administrative portal.
Speaking on a television programme on Tuesday, Ike described the publication of the information as shocking and characterised it as political rascality.
