The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched a formal investigation into allegations of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database following the circulation of sensitive voter information linked to a political candidate in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission was treating the matter with “utmost seriousness.”
“The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission has been drawn to allegations currently circulating on social media and in some sections of the media regarding the alleged unauthorised access to the Commission’s Continuous Voter Registration database,” the statement read.
INEC confirmed that it had immediately commenced a comprehensive investigation to determine how the information was accessed and whether any internal protocols were breached.
The commission explained that authorised registration officers were granted controlled access to parts of the CVR system during ongoing voter registration activities, including transfers and updates to voter records.
According to INEC, such access is strictly limited to official duties and is withdrawn once the exercise concludes.
Haruna disclosed that preliminary findings from the commission’s audit trail had already identified the user account involved in accessing the information in question.
“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed,” he said.
He added that relevant personnel had been questioned and that all operational units connected to the system were cooperating with the investigation.
INEC further stated that its ongoing technical review covers administrative, operational, and security aspects of the CVR system to determine accountability and ensure compliance with access-control procedures.
However, the commission stressed that preliminary findings indicated there was no external breach or cyber intrusion.
“Preliminary findings… 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,” the statement added.
INEC explained that the incident involved access through valid user credentials assigned to authorised personnel, but that the information was allegedly released without approval.
It clarified that the issue related to the retrieval of a single voter record and did not compromise the broader voter registration database.
“The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the Commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters,” it stated.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding voter data and maintaining public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral systems.
INEC also confirmed that the Department of State Services (DSS) had independently launched an investigation into the matter and pledged full cooperation with security agencies.
“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,” it said.
INEC urged the public and media organisations to avoid speculation while investigations are ongoing, assuring that findings and disciplinary actions would be made public upon conclusion.
The development follows controversy involving actor Emeka Ike and allegations that a political aide, Lere Olayinka, shared what appeared to be his voter information obtained from an INEC administrative portal.
Ike, who contested the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat in the FCT under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) and lost, described the publication of his personal data as a serious violation of privacy and political misconduct.
Olayinka had earlier stated on social media that Ike transferred his voter registration from Imo State to the FCT, a claim accompanied by screenshots that sparked public concern over possible data exposure.
The matter has since intensified debate over data protection, electoral transparency, and the security of sensitive voter information in Nigeria’s electoral system.
