By Emmanuel Enitan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an investigation into the alleged unauthorised access and disclosure of voter information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database, raising fresh concerns over data security as the nationwide voter registration exercise continues.
The electoral body said the probe followed reports circulating on social media and in sections of the media alleging that information relating to a candidate in a recent political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was retrieved and published without authorisation.
INEC, however, dismissed suggestions that its database had been hacked, insisting that preliminary findings showed no evidence of an external cyberattack or compromise of its information technology infrastructure.
In a statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Haruna, the Commission said it had commenced a thorough investigation to determine how the information was accessed and released.
According to the Commission, officials involved in the ongoing CVR exercise are granted controlled access to specific parts of the voter registration system for legitimate purposes such as registering new voters, processing transfers and updating voter records.
INEC disclosed that its audit trail has already identified the user account through which the information was accessed and that relevant personnel have been questioned as part of the investigation.
The Commission explained that the incident under investigation involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of its broader voter registration infrastructure, which contains records of more than 90 million registered voters nationwide.
The development has also attracted the attention of security agencies, with the Department of State Services (DSS) commencing a parallel investigation into the matter.
INEC assured Nigerians that it remains committed to protecting the confidentiality and integrity of voter information, stressing that appropriate legal and disciplinary actions would be taken against anyone found culpable.
Election and governance experts said the incident highlights the growing importance of data governance and cybersecurity in electoral administration, particularly as technology assumes a more central role in voter registration and election management.
They urged the Commission to strengthen internal controls, audit mechanisms and personnel oversight to prevent future incidents capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC also appealed to the public to avoid speculation while investigations are ongoing, promising to make the findings public at the conclusion of the probe.
