Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into the alleged unauthorised access and release of voter information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
The commission said preliminary findings have identified the user account through which the data was accessed.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, INEC said it was treating the matter with urgency after allegations emerged on social media regarding the publication of information relating to a candidate who participated in a recent political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory.
The electoral body said an audit trail from its preliminary investigation enabled it to trace the specific user account involved. It added that relevant personnel had been questioned and units linked to the incident were cooperating fully with investigators.
INEC said authorised registration officers participating in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise were granted controlled access to parts of the system for official duties, including voter registration, transfers and record updates.
The commission said the information was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel involved in the exercise and was subsequently released without authorisation.
INEC stated that its findings so far showed no evidence of external hacking, unauthorised outside access or a breach of its information technology infrastructure.
According to the Electoral body, the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of its broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters.
The controversy followed the circulation of screenshots appearing to show voter details linked to actor and politician Emeka Ike, prompting concerns over the security of voter information and calls for accountability. The actor has threatened legal action over the incident.
INEC said it was examining the technical, administrative and operational circumstances surrounding the incident and would take appropriate legal action against anyone found culpable. The commission also disclosed that the Department of State Services had commenced a separate investigation into the matter.
The electoral body urged the public and media to avoid speculation while investigations continue, pledging to make its findings public upon conclusion of the probe.