The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a N10 billion lawsuit accusing it of leaking a voter’s personal information ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The suit was filed by Nollywood actor and House of Representatives aspirant Emeka Ike against INEC and Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Ike alleged that his constitutional right to privacy was violated after his voter registration details were published on X. Although Olayinka made the post, the actor claimed the information originated from INEC’s records.
Through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, Ike urged the court to declare that the publication of his voter details without his consent amounted to a breach of his privacy and data protection rights.
In its defence, INEC denied leaking the information, arguing that details submitted during voter registration are not confidential. The commission maintained that the information referenced in the suit had already been published in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026.
In a counter-affidavit deposed to by Anthonia Makwe, an assistant director and data protection officer in INEC’s Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, the commission stated that it is legally empowered to compile, maintain, display and publish the voters’ register without seeking the prior consent of registered voters.
INEC further argued that its actions are guided by the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, insisting that the information at the centre of the case is neither sensitive nor confidential.
The commission, however, denied providing the information to Olayinka and asked the court to dismiss allegations that it violated its duty to safeguard voters’ personal data.
Olayinka also urged the court to throw out the suit, contending that the information he shared was already in the public domain and was not obtained unlawfully.
His lawyer, Akpama Ekwe, argued that the post only contained Ike’s name and passport photograph, which did not amount to a breach of confidentiality.
He further submitted that, as a politician seeking elective office, Ike could not claim to have suffered trauma over the publication of information he voluntarily submitted during the voter registration process.
Olayinka also relied on Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates INEC to publish and display the voters’ register before general elections to allow public scrutiny.
Justice Salim Ibrahim has adjourned the matter until October 12 for hearing.
