By Emmanuel Thomas
NIGERIA’S election watchdog, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an urgent investigation into a suspected “inside job” after Emeka Ike private files were leaked online.
INEC hit back at panic on social media today, fiercely denying that malicious hackers had breached their mega database containing the personal details of over 90 million voters.
Instead, election bosses admit the leak likely came from a mole within their own ranks.
The scandal erupted after sensitive information regarding Emeka Ike, a Nollywood superstar in the recent Federal Capital Territory political primaries began circulating wildly online.
Terrified voters feared the worst, but INEC’s National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna moved quickly to calm the public.
In an official statement, Haruna revealed that a digital audit trail had already tracked down the exact user account used to access the leaked file, the transfer record of Nollywood superstar, Emeka Ike, who is seeking nomination of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC to vie for House of Representative member in the 2027 general election.
Mr. Lere Olayinka, Special Assistant to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, who works for the rulling All Progressive Congress, APC published database containing Emeka Ike on his X account, fuelling the outrage. Olyinka has deleted the outrageous post.
INEC said: “Preliminary findings indicate that there was no external breach of the database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure.
”Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel… but released without authority.”
Officials stressed that the security breach was limited to one single voter record, meaning the data of 90 million everyday citizens remains completely safe and locked down.
Staff members connected to the rogue account have already been dragged in for questioning as investigators try to figure out exactly who leaked the credentials.
Nigeria’s feared secret police—the Department of State Services (DSS)—have now launched their own completely independent probe into the security disaster.
Election chiefs have vowed to throw the book at anyone found guilty, promising to hand the culprits straight over to the courts.
Haruna added: “The Commission takes the security, confidentiality, and integrity of voter data with the utmost seriousness.
”We will not hesitate to refer any person found culpable for appropriate legal action.”
