The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into claims of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database following the circulation of sensitive voter information linked to a recent political party primary in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement released on Tuesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission is treating the matter with serious concern and has begun a full-scale probe.
The statement noted that allegations circulating on social media and other platforms suggested that the CVR system had been accessed without authorisation, leading to the exposure of details belonging to a candidate in the FCT primaries.
INEC explained that during the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise, designated officials were granted restricted access to parts of the voter registration system strictly for official duties such as registration, transfer, and data updates. It stressed that such access is temporary and withdrawn after the exercise.
According to Haruna, early investigation has already produced an audit trail that helped the commission identify the user account linked to the access of the disputed record.
He added that the staff involved have been invited for questioning, while relevant departments are fully cooperating with investigators to establish what went wrong and whether any internal protocols were breached.
INEC, however, maintained that its preliminary findings show no evidence of external interference or hacking into its systems.
It clarified that there was no breach of its ICT infrastructure, and no unauthorised external access to the voter database. Instead, it said the information was accessed using valid login credentials issued to authorised personnel involved in the CVR exercise, but the data was later released without proper authorisation.
The commission further stated that the incident was limited to a single voter record and did not affect the broader database or compromise the personal details of over 90 million registered voters nationwide.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding electoral data, stressing that it places high priority on the confidentiality and integrity of voter information.
It also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has commenced an independent investigation into the matter and pledged continued collaboration with security agencies.
The electoral body urged the public and media to avoid speculation while investigations are ongoing, assuring that the outcome and any disciplinary actions will be made public.
Meanwhile, the development follows reports involving actor Emeka Ike, who allegedly threatened legal action against Lere Olayinka, aide to the FCT Minister, over claims of exposure of his voter information said to have originated from an INEC portal.