Troubling questions dog INEC data leak

FOR a country grappling with a deep trust deficit in its democracy, the recent leak of classified voter information linked to an electoral officer is a red flag that must not be ignored as Nigeria inches toward another election cycle.

The Media Adviser to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lere Olayinka, triggered alarm when he posted screenshots containing the personal voter details of Nollywood actor Emeka Ike.

The post showed that Ike, an aspirant in the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency House of Representatives primaries under the National Democratic Congress, had transferred his INEC registration from Imo State on May 15.

At this point, INEC remains the only institution with access to voters’ details.

Derisively, Olayinka accompanied the screenshot with the remark: “(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 the House of Reps in Abuja! Someone who has never voted in the FCT o. What happened to his Imo State? This Obidient people enh!!!”

This unauthorised access to INEC’s database has sparked public outrage, and justifiably so.

Many Nigerians have already lost confidence in the electoral system and have consistently stayed away from the polls over the last four general elections and other polls because of perceived electoralfraud.

According to INEC, voter participation has declined steadily since 2007. From 57.54 per cent in 2007, turnout fell to 53.68 per cent in 2011, 43.65 per cent in 2015, 34.75 per cent in 2019 and crashed to 26.72 per cent in 2023.

The matter is even more troubling because it involves an aide to a serving minister, who exposed details of an aspirant in an opposition party in a country where incumbency factor remains a potent force in elections.

This leak has the potential to inflict further damage on voter participation, as many may view it as yet another attempt to manipulate or undermine the 2027 elections.

The police and INEC must therefore thoroughly investigate and address the data breach to restore public confidence and encourage higher voter participation in the 2027 elections and beyond.

The publication of Ike’s data appears to violate both the Data Protection Act and relevant provisions of the Cybercrimes Act.

After former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s public confession to listening in on the National Security Adviser’s phone conversation, he is now on trial. Olayinka should be subjected to the same standard of accountability.

INEC has sought to assuage public fears, insisting that its portal was not hacked and that the screenshots did not originate from its CVR administrative portal.

INEC’s Mohammed Haruna stated that investigations by the commission and the police revealed that an INEC official accessed Ike’s details on the voter register and shared them with the AMAC electoral officer, who used his daughter’s phone to take the screenshot.

This episode reeks of unprofessionalism, impunity, recklessness and a betrayal of public trust.

Even more curious is INEC’s refusal to disclose the identity of its erring officer. The issue at stake transcends an individual infraction; it concerns institutional integrity, electoral propriety and public confidence.

It also touches on perception, a crucial ingredient in public trust, political participation and the credibility of INEC itself.

Although INEC has dismissed claims that its system was hacked, an electoral body with a history of bad eggs, some of whom have been jailed for electoral offences,cannot easily convince the public that it has fully contained institutional vulnerabilities and criminal tendencies within its ranks.

The scar of the 2023 elections remains fresh. INEC promised immediate transmission of election results from polling units to the iREV portal, but reneged, leaving many voters disillusioned.

This leak offers an unsettling glimpse into the kind of chaos that could unfold in 2027. INEC must not allow that to happen.

The late former President Musa Yar’Adua openly admitted that the 2007 election that brought him to power was deeply flawed. The EU Electoral Observation Mission also documented the widespread fraud that marred the exercise.

A High Court in Yola jailed two INEC employees for 42 years for rigging elections and accepting bribes during the 2015 general elections.

Peter Ogban was also jailed for three years for inflating results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo LGAs.

Yet these convictions are merely a drop in the ocean compared to the numerous officials who engaged in electoral malpractices without arrest or prosecution.

Therefore, electoral laws must be rigidly enforced and infractions decisively punished to deliver credible elections.

Rather than acknowledging its failings, INEC has often appeared more willing to resist voters’ rights in court.

In a suit filed by Ephraim Okoye challenging INEC’s failure to transmit the original results from his Finance Quarters 1, Wuye, Abuja polling unit during the February 2023 presidential election, the commission opposed the suit. It argued that the court lacked jurisdiction and that Okoye had no locus standi to institute the case.

Peter Kekemeke, judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, ruled in favour of Okoye, opening the door for voters to challenge INEC’s electoral shortcomings. The ruling has renewed hope among voters that their votes may indeed count in 2027 and beyond.

Beyond this case, all eyes are now on the judiciary. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done.

In this matter, democracy itself is on trial.

If dissatisfied with the police handling of the case, Ike should seek redress in court. It is a duty he owes not only himself but also the Nigerian people and the democratic system.

This case is about far more than a voter data leak. It is about safeguarding democracy, boosting voter participation and ensuring credible elections.