INEC Data Leak Puts 2027 Election Credibility on Trial — Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that the unauthorised disclosure of voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database poses a serious threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the incident had exposed vulnerabilities within Nigeria’s electoral institutions and raised concerns about potential political interference ahead of the next election cycle.

The former presidential candidate noted that while INEC had assured Nigerians that no external hacking occurred, the commission also acknowledged that sensitive voter information was accessed through valid official credentials and released without authorisation.

According to Atiku, that admission raises critical questions about the effectiveness of internal controls, institutional safeguards, and the possibility of politically motivated misuse of voter data.

He argued that the absence of an external cyberattack does not lessen the seriousness of the incident but instead highlights weaknesses within the system. He maintained that every Nigerian should be concerned that confidential voter information could be accessed and disclosed without proper authorisation.

Atiku further pointed to the involvement of Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who publicly shared what appeared to be voter information linked to actor and politician Emeka Ike.

The former vice president questioned whether recent political comments by Wike regarding the 2027 presidential election reflected mere political confidence or suggested that some actors believed they had privileged access to institutions expected to remain neutral.

He described the episode as a major test of the independence and transparency of Nigeria’s electoral institutions and demanded a full account of how the information was obtained, who authorised its retrieval, and how it was released.

While welcoming INEC’s confirmation that the user account involved had been identified and relevant personnel questioned, Atiku said the investigation must go beyond identifying an account holder. He also welcomed the independent probe by the Department of State Services, stressing that Nigerians expect a transparent and credible outcome.