The Independent National Electoral Commission has opened an investigation into the alleged unauthorised release of voter registration details linked to a candidate in the recent primaries of a political party in the Federal Capital Territory.
The development follows controversy over the publication of registration information allegedly linked to Emeka Ike by Lere Olayinka, an aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, INEC said its attention had been drawn to allegations circulating on social media and in sections of the media over alleged unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration database.
The statement was signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
INEC said it had immediately commenced a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
According to the Commission, authorised registration officers were granted controlled access to specific components of the CVR system as part of the ongoing nationwide registration exercise.
It explained that the access was meant strictly for official duties, including the registration of new voters, transfer of registration and updating of voter records where necessary.
The Commission, however, said preliminary findings showed that the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise, but was allegedly released without authorisation.
INEC said its audit trail had helped identify the user account through which the information was accessed, adding that relevant personnel had already been questioned.
“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed. Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation,” the statement read.
The electoral body also clarified that there was no external breach of its database, no hacking incident and no unauthorised external access to its ICT infrastructure.
It said the incident under investigation involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not amount to a compromise of its broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters.INEC added that it was examining all technical, administrative and operational issues connected to the matter to determine individual responsibility and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols.
The Commission further disclosed that the Department of State Services had, on its own, commenced an independent investigation into the matter.
It assured Nigerians that it would cooperate fully with all relevant security agencies and would not hesitate to refer anyone found culpable for appropriate legal action.
INEC urged members of the public and the media to disregard unfounded speculations while investigations continue, adding that it would make its final findings public in due course.
The Commission also reiterated its commitment to the security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data.