The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into allegations of unauthorized access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
Grassroots Parrot reports that the development followed the publication of information relating to a candidate who participated in a recent political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the Commission was treating the matter with utmost seriousness.
According to Haruna, the Commission immediately commenced a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident after reports surfaced on social media and in sections of the media alleging that information had been improperly accessed and released.
INEC explained that, as part of the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise, authorized registration officers are granted controlled access to specific components of the voter registration system.
The move, according to INEC, was to facilitate voter registration, transfer requests, and updates to voter records. Such access; the Commission noted, is strictly limited to official duties and is withdrawn once the exercise concludes.
Preliminary findings from the Commission’s audit trail have enabled investigators to identify the user account through which the information was accessed.
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Relevant personnel have since been questioned, while all units connected to the incident are cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
The Commission stated that it is examining all technical, administrative, and operational aspects of the matter to determine responsibility and ascertain whether any internal access-control procedures were breached.
However, INEC emphasized that its preliminary findings indicate there was no external breach of its systems.
According to the Commission, there was no hacking incident and no unauthorized external access to its ICT infrastructure.
Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise and was subsequently released without authorization.
INEC stressed that the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not suggest any compromise of the broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to protecting voter information and maintaining the integrity, security, and confidentiality of its electoral systems.
INEC also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has independently commenced an investigation into the matter.
The Commission pledged full cooperation with security agencies and stated that anyone found culpable would face appropriate legal action.
The Commission urged members of the public and the media to avoid speculation while investigations continue, assuring Nigerians that the outcome of the probe and any subsequent actions would be made public.
The controversy arose after actor and politician Emeka Ike accused Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of exposing his personal voter information allegedly obtained from an INEC administrative portal.
Olayinka had posted screenshots on social media purporting to show details of Ike’s voter registration history, including his application number, registration centre, voter identification number, photograph, and other personal information.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Ike described the incident as disturbing and condemned what he called the misuse of personal data for political purposes.