Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into the alleged leakage of actor Emeka Ike’s voter information and the suspected misuse of authorised access to its voter registration database.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement issued on Tuesday, Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), said the commission had commenced a thorough probe following allegations of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
The controversy stems from the publication of information relating to Emeka Ike, who participated in the recent primaries of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The Commission takes this allegation seriously and has immediately commenced a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident,” the statement said.
INEC explained that, as part of the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise, authorised registration officers were granted limited access to specific sections of the CVR system to carry out official responsibilities.
“As part of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise nationwide, authorised INEC Registration Officers were granted controlled access to specific components of the CVR system to enable them to register new applicants, process requests for the transfer of registration and update voter records where necessary.
“Such access is restricted to official duties only and is withdrawn at the conclusion of the exercise.”
According to the electoral body, a preliminary audit trail has already helped investigators 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,” INEC said.
“The Commission is also examining all technical, administrative and operational factors associated with the matter in order to establish individual responsibility and determine the circumstances surrounding the use of those credentials and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols before taking appropriate action against anyone involved.”
INEC further disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has opened a separate investigation into the matter. The commission pledged full cooperation with security agencies and vowed to pursue legal action against anyone found culpable.
The commission, however, reassured Nigerians that the incident does not indicate a wider compromise of its voter registration infrastructure.
It stated that the retrieval of a specific voter record does not suggest any breach of the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters in its database.
The development follows a threat by veteran Nollywood actor Emeka Ike to institute legal proceedings against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged exposure of his personal data from the INEC portal.
Ike contested for the House of Representatives seat representing the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
