By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into allegations of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database following the publication of information relating to a candidate who participated in the recent primary election of a political party in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Commission came under intense criticism recently after Lere Olayinka, Spokesperson to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike disclosed that Emeka Ike, Nollywood actor who wishes to contest the AMAC/Bwari House of Representative seat, under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), recently transferred his polling unit from Imo state to the Federal Capital Territory during the on-going CVR and has never voted in the FCT.
“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! Someone who has never voted in the FCT o. What happened to his Imo State? This Obidient people enh!!!” he wrote on his verified X handle.
The disclosure attracted a lot of questions on the level of security around the INEC database, while others questioned the integrity of the INEC server ahead of 2027 general election.
But in a statement issued on Tuesday, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the Commission has taken the allegations seriously and immediately commenced a thorough probe to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The controversy emerged after claims circulated on social media and in sections of the media suggesting that the Commission’s voter registration database had been compromised.
However, INEC said preliminary findings from its investigation showed that there was no external breach of its database or ICT infrastructure.
According to the Commission, authorised Registration Officers participating in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise were granted controlled access to specific sections of the system to enable them carry out official duties such as registering new voters, processing transfer requests and updating voter records.
INEC explained that such access is strictly limited to official responsibilities and is withdrawn once the exercise is concluded.
The Commission disclosed that an audit trail from its preliminary investigation had enabled it 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. Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation,” the statement said.
INEC noted that it was examining all technical, administrative and operational aspects of the matter to determine individual responsibility, establish the circumstances surrounding the use of the credentials and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols.
The electoral body stressed that the information in question was accessed using valid user credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise but was subsequently released without authorisation.
“Preliminary findings from the Commission’s audit trail so far, however, indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised 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,” Haruna stated.
The Commission further clarified that the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not suggest any compromise of the wider voter registration system or the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters across the country.
INEC reassured Nigerians that the security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data remained a top priority, pledging to maintain transparency throughout the investigation.
“The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the Commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters,” the statement added.
The Commission also revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) had independently commenced an investigation into the matter.
INEC said it would continue to cooperate with security agencies and would not hesitate to refer any individual found culpable for prosecution in accordance with the law.
“Furthermore, the Department of State Services (DSS), on its own accord, has commenced an independent investigation into the matter. The Commission will continue to cooperate fully with all relevant security agencies and will not hesitate to refer any person found culpable for appropriate legal action,” Haruna said.
While urging the public and the media to avoid speculation, the Commission assured Nigerians that it would provide updates on the outcome of the investigation and any measures taken to address the situation.
