INEC Suspends Electoral Officer Over Alleged Voter Data Leak Involving Emeka Ike

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 on Thursday that investigations by security agencies and data protection regulators into the incident are still ongoing.

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

The suspension follows a controversy that erupted after Ike’s voter registration details surfaced online during a dispute connected to a political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to INEC, preliminary findings indicate that there was no external breach of the commission’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure or compromise of its voter register.

The electoral body stated that the data was allegedly accessed using valid credentials assigned to officials involved in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and was subsequently disclosed without authorization.

INEC explained that its audit trail enabled investigators to identify the specific user account used to access the voter record, leading to the questioning of personnel with access to the system.

The commission reiterated its commitment to protecting voters’ personal information and ensuring the integrity of its electoral database while investigations continue.