The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the State Security Service (SSS) have launched separate investigations into the alleged unauthorized access of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database by Lere Olayinka, the spokesperson for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The probe follows a social media post by Mr. Olayinka on Saturday, which featured screenshots of internal voter registration records belonging to Nollywood actor Emeka Ike.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Olayinka shared the sensitive data to mock Mr. Ike’s intention to contest for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
“Emeka Ike was a registered voter in Imo State. He only transferred his INEC Registration to the FCT on May 15, 2026 (15 days ago). And he wants to contest for House of Reps in Abuja,” Mr. Olayinka posted. He added: “Someone who has never voted in the FCT o. What happened to his Imo State?”
Social media users quickly noted that the screenshots featured the “admin interface” of the electoral commission’s portal, raising urgent questions regarding how a political aide gained access to non-public government data.
In a statement on Sunday, INEC spokesperson Mohammed Haruna confirmed that the commission is treating the matter with “utmost seriousness.”
Preliminary findings from an internal audit trail have already identified the specific user account used to retrieve the information. Mr. Haruna clarified that the incident was not the result of a cyberattack or external hacking.
“Preliminary findings 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,” the statement read.
Instead, the commission found that the information was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise. These credentials, intended strictly for official duties such as processing new registrations and transfers, appear to have been misused.
INEC stressed that while the breach involved the retrieval of a specific voter record, the broader database containing the personal data of over 90 million Nigerians remains secure.
“The Commission is examining technical, administrative, and operational factors to determine how the credentials were used and whether internal access-control protocols were breached,” Haruna added.
The electoral body also revealed that the SSS has launched an independent criminal investigation into the matter. INEC vowed to cooperate fully with security agencies and warned that any individual found culpable would face legal action.
As of press time, Mr. Olayinka’s post remained active on X. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to phone calls or text messages.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the State Security Service (SSS) have launched separate investigations into the alleged unauthorized access of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database by Lere Olayinka, the spokesperson for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The probe follows a social media post by Mr. Olayinka on Saturday, which featured screenshots of internal voter registration records belonging to Nollywood actor Emeka Ike.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Olayinka shared the sensitive data to mock Mr. Ike’s intention to contest for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
“Emeka Ike was a registered voter in Imo State. He only transferred his INEC Registration to the FCT on May 15, 2026 (15 days ago). And he wants to contest for House of Reps in Abuja,” Mr. Olayinka posted. He added: “Someone who has never voted in the FCT o. What happened to his Imo State?”
Social media users quickly noted that the screenshots featured the “admin interface” of the electoral commission’s portal, raising urgent questions regarding how a political aide gained access to non-public government data.
In a statement on Sunday, INEC spokesperson Mohammed Haruna confirmed that the commission is treating the matter with “utmost seriousness.”
Preliminary findings from an internal audit trail have already identified the specific user account used to retrieve the information. Mr. Haruna clarified that the incident was not the result of a cyberattack or external hacking.
“Preliminary findings 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,” the statement read.
Instead, the commission found that the information was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise. These credentials, intended strictly for official duties such as processing new registrations and transfers, appear to have been misused.
INEC stressed that while the breach involved the retrieval of a specific voter record, the broader database containing the personal data of over 90 million Nigerians remains secure.
“The Commission is examining technical, administrative, and operational factors to determine how the credentials were used and whether internal access-control protocols were breached,” Haruna added.
The electoral body also revealed that the SSS has launched an independent criminal investigation into the matter. INEC vowed to cooperate fully with security agencies and warned that any individual found culpable would face legal action.
As of press time, Mr. Olayinka’s post remained active on X. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to phone calls or text messages.
