Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, to court over the alleged leak of his personal voter data.
The suit, filed on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, accuses Olayinka of publishing Ike’s voter registration details on X without consent.
In May, Olayinka had shared screenshots showing Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the FCT, using the information to question the actor’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in Abuja following his primary election activities. The post triggered backlash, with many Nigerians alleging Olayinka had gained unauthorised access to INEC’s restricted backend system.
INEC has denied that its Continuous Voter Registration database was hacked, instead blaming the disclosure on misuse of valid login credentials by authorised personnel. The Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team has since questioned Olayinka and an electoral officer over the matter.
Through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, Ike wants the court to declare that Olayinka’s action violated his right to privacy under Section 37 of the Constitution, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. He also argues INEC breached its duty of care to safeguard voters’ data.
The actor is seeking an order compelling Olayinka to delete the post, issue a written apology, and publish it in three national newspapers for two consecutive weeks. He is also asking the court to award ₦10 billion in damages against INEC and Olayinka jointly.
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