INEC Suspends Staff Linked to Emeka Ike’s Voter Data Leak

INEC Suspends Staff Linked to Emeka Ike’s Voter Data Leak

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended an electoral officer allegedly linked to the voter data leak involving Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike.

The commission disclosed that investigations into the incident are still ongoing, with security agencies and data protection regulators working to determine the full circumstances surrounding the unauthorised disclosure of the voter information.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, made the disclosure on Thursday during a fireside chat organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in Abuja.

The controversy emerged after the voter registration details of Emeka Ike surfaced online during a dispute connected to a political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The incident raised concerns about the security of personal information contained in the nation’s voter database and prompted calls for a thorough investigation.

According to Haruna, preliminary findings have shown that there was no external breach of INEC’s information technology infrastructure and no compromise of the commission’s voter register.

He explained that investigations indicated the voter information was allegedly accessed through legitimate credentials assigned to officials participating in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

The commission said the information was subsequently disclosed without authorisation, leading to disciplinary and investigative actions.

Haruna noted that INEC’s internal audit trail and monitoring systems played a crucial role in identifying the source of the access.

“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no external breach of INEC’s ICT infrastructure or compromise of the voter register. The data was allegedly accessed using valid credentials assigned to officials involved in the CVR exercise and was later disclosed without authorisation,” he said.

The commission further revealed that its audit mechanisms enabled investigators to trace the activity to a specific user account, making it possible to identify and question personnel with access to the system.

As part of immediate administrative measures, the electoral officer linked to the incident has been suspended pending the conclusion of investigations.

INEC reiterated its commitment to protecting the personal information of registered voters and maintaining the integrity of its data management systems.

The commission assured Nigerians that it would continue cooperating with relevant authorities to ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences of unauthorised access or disclosure of voter information.

Investigations into the matter remain ongoing.