Atiku demands probe of INEC data breach, raises questions over voter information leak

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged unauthorised release of information from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.

Atiku said the electoral body’s recent explanation regarding the incident had deepened concerns about the security of voter information and raised questions about possible internal compromise.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president argued that INEC’s admission that the information was accessed using valid official credentials had shifted attention from fears of external cyberattacks to concerns about the integrity of internal access controls.

According to him, Nigerians deserve clear answers on how sensitive information stored in a restricted electoral database found its way into the public domain.

“INEC has confirmed that the information was accessed through credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise and that it was subsequently released without authorisation. The critical question now is how data held within a protected electoral database ended up in the possession of political actors,” Atiku said.

The former vice president was reacting to INEC’s statement on the controversy surrounding the circulation of voter registration details allegedly obtained from its database.

While the commission maintained that there was no hacking of its ICT infrastructure and no external breach of its systems, it acknowledged that the information was retrieved using authorised user credentials assigned to officials participating in the voter registration exercise.

Atiku, however, said the absence of an external cyberattack did not lessen the seriousness of the incident.

“If anything, it raises more troubling questions about institutional safeguards, internal controls, and whether political influence may have played a role in the release of the information,” he said.

He specifically referenced the role of Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who shared the voter information that sparked the controversy.

According to Atiku, the fact that the information was publicly disclosed by a political figure rather than a whistleblower or investigative agency makes the matter even more concerning.

He questioned how data from a restricted electoral database allegedly made its way from INEC’s internal system into the hands of an aide to a serving minister.

The ADC presidential candidate also linked the controversy to recent political remarks made by Wike concerning the 2027 presidential election.

He noted that the FCT minister had recently expressed confidence that Atiku would secure less than 10 per cent of the votes in Rivers State during the next presidential poll.

Atiku said such comments had prompted questions about whether certain political actors possessed access to information or influence beyond what should be available in a democratic system.

He argued that the issue extends beyond the disclosure of a single voter record and touches on broader concerns about public confidence in the neutrality and independence of electoral institutions.

“This has become a test of whether Nigeria’s democratic institutions are truly insulated from political interference or whether politically connected individuals enjoy privileges unavailable to ordinary citizens,” he said.

The former vice president called on INEC to make public the full chain of custody of the leaked information, including details of who accessed the record, who authorised the access, who received the information, and how it was eventually disclosed.

He also welcomed the decision of the Department of State Services (DSS) to launch an independent investigation into the matter, expressing hope that the probe would be thorough, impartial, and transparent.

“No individual, regardless of political influence or proximity to power, should be shielded from scrutiny,” he said.

Atiku further urged INEC to publish the outcome of its investigation and take necessary steps to reassure Nigerians about the security of voter data ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to him, the credibility of future elections will depend not only on what happens on election day but also on the transparency, accountability, and integrity demonstrated by institutions responsible for managing the electoral process.

INEC had earlier disclosed that its preliminary investigation identified the user account through which the information was accessed and confirmed that relevant personnel had already been questioned. The commission also stated that the DSS had commenced a parallel investigation into the incident.

The electoral body maintained that the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not amount to a compromise of its broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal information of millions of registered voters nationwide.