Follow Us on Google
• You’ve questions to answer, Atiku says
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has questions to answer over unauthorised disclosure of information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said while INEC has tried to to reassure Nigerians that there was no external hacking of its Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, the Commission admitted that sensitive voter information was accessed through valid official credentials and released without authorisation.
INEC has admitted that it has commenced an investigation into the unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database and subsequent publication of information of a candidate in the recent political party primaries in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
INEC allayed the fears of Nigerians by explaining that the incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter’s records 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 also revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS), has, on its own accord, commenced an independent investigation into the matter, assuring that the commission would continue to cooperate fully with all relevant security agencies and would not hesitate to refer any person found culpable for appropriate legal action.
The commission equally noted that “preliminary findings from the audit trail indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident and no unauthorised external access to its ICT infrastructure. However, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authorisation.”
Atiku, in a statement by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, said it was disturbing that the material in question was voluntarily published by Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
“INEC’s statement has moved this issue beyond conjecture. The Commission has now confirmed that voter information was accessed through credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise and that such information was released without authority. That admission alone should concern every Nigerian.
“What Nigerians want to know is simple: how did information that resides within a restricted electoral database find its way into the hands of political actors and their associates? The fact that there was no external hack does not diminish the gravity of the incident. If anything, it raises even more troubling questions about internal controls, institutional safeguards, and the possibility of political interference.
“INEC has confirmed that this information was retrieved using authorized credentials. Nigerians deserve to know how material obtained from a restricted electoral platform found its way into the public domain through individuals closely associated with a serving minister. That question remains unanswered.
“What makes this entire episode impossible to ignore is that the information in question did not emerge from a whistleblower, an investigative journalist, or an anti-corruption agency. It was publicly released by Mr. Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.INEC has now admitted that the information originated from its restricted voter registration database and was accessed using valid official credentials.”
Olayinka had, in a social media post, last weekend, shared the voter details of a Nigeria Democratic Congress ( NDC) House of Representatives aspirant, Emeka Ike.
Atiku added that Nigerians deserve to know information stored within a supposedly secure electoral database travel from INEC’s internal system into the possession of the aide of a serving minister.
“That question becomes even more compelling when viewed against the backdrop of recent political events. Only days before this controversy erupted, Minister Wike publicly declared with remarkable certainty that Atiku Abubakar would not secure up to 10 percent of the votes in Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election. It was an astonishing claim. Not because politicians are forbidden from making predictions, but because of the confidence, precision, and finality with which it was delivered.
“Ordinarily, such comments could be dismissed as political bravado. However, Nigerians are now confronted with a disturbing reality: individuals operating within the Minister’s political circle have been found in possession of information sourced from INEC’s restricted database.
“The question therefore arises: what was the basis of such extraordinary confidence? Was it merely political chest-thumping, or does it reveal a mindset that believes certain political actors possess privileged access to institutions that are constitutionally required to remain neutral?” he queried.
He noted that democracy cannot survive on assurances alone, stating that electoral integrity does not only depend on the
Other News
independence of institutions but also on the public perception of that independence.
According to him, once political actors begin to appear unusually familiar with information that ordinarily should not be accessible to them, public trust inevitably suffers.
“This is why the issue can no longer be reduced to the unauthorized disclosure of a single voter record. It has become a test of whether Nigeria’s electoral institutions are truly insulated from political influence or whether politically connected individuals enjoy access and advantages unavailable to ordinary citizens.
“The Nigerian people deserve to know the complete chain of custody. Who accessed the information? Who requested it? Who received it? How did it leave INEC’s custody? And why did the trail lead directly to political actors associated with a serving minister who has repeatedly made unusually confident pronouncements about the outcome of a future election?
“These are not partisan questions. They are questions about the integrity of the democratic process itself. Until they are fully answered, concerns about political interference, privileged access, and the neutrality of key institutions will continue to grow,” Atiku said.
The ADC candidate, who welcomed the the involvement of the Department of State Services (DSS), which electoral body says has commenced an independent investigation, insisted that the complete findings from the investigation must be published.
“The credibility of the 2027 election will not be determined solely on election day. It is being shaped right now by the willingness of institutions to demonstrate transparency, accountability, and independence.
“Nigeria cannot afford a situation where confidence in electoral institutions is weakened before campaigns have even properly commenced. The Nigerian people deserve to know that their data is protected, that electoral systems remain secure, and that no politician—regardless of influence or position—enjoys privileged access to the machinery of democracy.
“If there has been no compromise, let the facts be made public. If electoral institutions are truly independent, let them demonstrate that independence. Democracy flourishes in transparency, accountability, and public trust—not in secrecy and unanswered questions.”
The electoral umpire, in a statement by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), further explained that as part of the ongoing CVR exercise nationwide, authorised INEC Registration Officers were granted controlled access to specific components of the CVR system to enable them register new applicants, process requests for transfer of registration and update voter records where necessary.
It noted that such access, restricted to official duties only, was, however, withdrawn at the conclusion of the exercise, revealing that relevant personnel had been questioned and all units connected with the incident were cooperating fully with the investigation.
“The attention of INEC has been drawn to allegations currently circulating regarding the alleged unauthorised access to the CVR database and the subsequent publication of information on a candidate in the recent primaries of a political party in the FCT.
“The commission takes this allegation seriously and has immediately commenced a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident. The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed,” the commission noted in the statement.
Reacting further, the commission has also examined all technical, administrative and operational factors associated with the matter in order to establish individual responsibility, determine the circumstances surrounding the use of those credentials and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols before taking appropriate action against anyone involved.
“The commission wishes to state categorically that it takes the security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to transparency, institutional integrity and the protection of voters’ personal information.
“Furthermore, the DSS has commenced an independent investigation into the matter. 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.
“Members of the public and the media are, therefore, urged to disregard unfounded speculations while investigations remain ongoing. The commission will continue to keep the public informed of its final findings and any measures taken in response to the incident in due course,” the electoral umpire reassured.
