The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the State Security Service (SSS) have initiated separate investigations into alleged unauthorised access to the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database. This follows a social media post by Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, which appeared to display details from the commission's voter registration records.
INEC's Preliminary Findings
INEC spokesperson Mohammed Haruna stated that preliminary findings from the commission's audit trail have enabled investigators to identify the user account through which the information was accessed. Haruna reassured Nigerians that there is no evidence of an external cyberattack on INEC's systems. He said, "Preliminary findings from the Commission's audit trail so far 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."
Background of the Incident
On Saturday, Olayinka shared screenshots of Nollywood actor Emeka Ike's voter details. In the post, Olayinka criticised the actor, who announced his intention to contest a seat in the Federal House of Representatives for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the FCT. Olayinka posted on X: "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."
Social media users noted that the records displayed the admin site of the electoral commission, raising concerns about how Olayinka obtained access to the commission's data. The post remained accessible at the time of this report. Premium Times could not reach Olayinka for comment as he did not answer calls or respond to messages.
INEC's Response
Although INEC did not mention Olayinka by name, it stated that it took the allegations seriously and immediately commenced a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. The commission disclosed that preliminary findings from its audit trail allowed investigators to identify the user account through which the information was accessed. "Relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation," the statement read.
INEC explained that authorised registration officers participating in the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise are granted controlled access to specific components of the registration system to process new voter registrations, transfers, and record updates. The commission stressed that such access is strictly limited to official duties and is withdrawn after the exercise. Investigators are examining technical, administrative, and operational factors to determine how the credentials were used and whether internal access-control protocols were breached.
INEC confirmed that the information in question was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel involved in the voter registration exercise but was subsequently disclosed without authorisation. The commission clarified that the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not suggest any compromise of its broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters.
SSS Involvement
The commission also revealed that the State Security Service (SSS) has independently commenced its own investigation into the matter. INEC stated, "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."
