The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched a comprehensive investigation into allegations of unauthorized access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database. The probe follows the public disclosure of personal data belonging to a candidate in the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) political party primary elections.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Mohammed Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, emphasized that the commission is treating the security breach with the utmost seriousness.

Preliminary Findings Point to Internal Misuse, Not Hacking

According to INEC, preliminary findings from its system audit trails indicate that the commission's infrastructure was not compromised by external hackers. Instead, the data was accessed using valid administrative credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise.

Key Takeaway from INEC Statement: "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 unauthorized 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."

INEC clarified that authorized registration officers are granted controlled, temporary access to specific components of the registration system to process transfers, updates, and new registrations. This access is strictly confined to official duties and revoked upon completion of the exercise.

The commission assured the public that the incident was isolated to the retrieval of a single voter record and does not threaten the broader database containing the personal information of over 90 million registered voters.

Security Agencies Step In

The user account responsible for the unauthorized retrieval has been identified, and relevant personnel are currently being questioned. In tandem with INEC's internal review, the Department of State Services (DSS) has initiated an independent investigation into the breach.

INEC stated it is cooperating fully with security agencies and will refer any culpable individuals for appropriate legal prosecution.

Actor and Politician Emeka Ike Threatens Legal Action

The investigation follows a public outcry over the exposure of personal data belonging to veteran Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike. Ike recently contested and lost the House of Representatives seat for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

The controversy intensified after Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, posted screenshots on social media detailing Ike's voter registration transfer from Imo State to the FCT. The shared images reportedly originated from INEC’s restricted administrative login portal and exposed sensitive details, including Ike's:

• Voter Identification Number (VIN)

• Application number and date

• Registration center

• Full name and profile picture

Appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Ike condemned the leak, labeling Olayinka's actions as "shocking" and "the height of political rascality," while signaling his intention to pursue legal remedies.

INEC has urged the public and the media to refrain from speculation, promising to make the final outcome of the investigations public.