The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended an electoral officer allegedly linked to a breach of voter data involving actor and politician Emeka Ike, while investigations by security agencies and data protection regulators continue.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Thursday during a fireside chat on the recently concluded Ekiti governorship election, organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in Abuja.
The suspension follows controversy triggered after voter registration details belonging to Emeka Ike were circulated online during a dispute arising from a political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The incident raised concerns over the security of voter records and prompted calls for an investigation into the source of the leak.
In response, INEC said it launched an inquiry into what it described as an unauthorised disclosure from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
According to the commission, preliminary findings showed there was no external breach of its ICT infrastructure and no compromise of the national voter register.
Rather, the data was allegedly accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel involved in the CVR exercise and later released without authorisation.
INEC said its internal audit trail helped investigators trace the user account used to access the record, leading to the questioning of staff with system access.
The commission stressed that only a single voter record was affected and that the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters remained secure.
The matter has since been referred to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and data protection authorities for further investigation.
Haruna said the commission acted swiftly after the incident by suspending the officer and initiating internal disciplinary procedures.
“As soon as this happened, we took immediate steps. The officer involved is under suspension and no longer functioning in that office,” he said.
He added that the officer had admitted involvement in the incident and allegedly acted out of personal grievances linked to previous interactions with political actors.
Haruna said INEC had completed its internal review and was awaiting the findings of security and regulatory agencies before taking further disciplinary action.
He noted that while the case is being investigated by multiple agencies, INEC would determine additional sanctions based on their reports.
The commissioner, however, said the incident should not be interpreted as evidence of systemic failure in the commission’s data management system.
He said INEC continues to strengthen safeguards around voter information and remains committed to protecting citizens’ personal data.
Haruna also called for greater public understanding of how voter information is collected and managed, stressing that improved awareness would help reduce misinformation around election technology and data security.
According to him, INEC will continue working with security agencies, civil society organisations, and data protection regulators to strengthen trust in electoral processes ahead of future elections.
