Emeka Ike Sues INEC, Wike’s Aide, Demands N10bn Over Alleged Voter Data Breach

Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has filed a N10 billion lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, over an alleged breach of his personal data and privacy rights.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The legal action follows a controversy that erupted in May after Olayinka published screenshots on social media platform X showing details of Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.

The information which appeared to have originated from a restricted INEC administrative portal was shared amid questions surrounding the actor’s political activities and eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in Abuja.

The publication sparked widespread criticism, with concerns raised about possible unauthorised access to sensitive voter information.

INEC subsequently acknowledged that the information was disclosed through the misuse of valid internal credentials by authorised personnel, while maintaining that its database had not been externally hacked.

Investigators from the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team later questioned both Olayinka and an electoral officer over the incident.

In the suit filed through his counsel, Leonard Adeh, Ike argued that the publication of his voter records without his consent constituted a violation of his constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy.

He cited Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Sections 24 and 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

The actor is asking the court to declare that INEC owed him and all registered voters a statutory duty to protect personal information under its custody.

He further contended that the electoral commission’s public statement issued on June 2 amounted to an admission that sensitive voter information under its control had been improperly disclosed.

Among the reliefs sought, Ike is asking the court to order Olayinka to delete the publication, issue a written apology and publish the apology in three national newspapers for two consecutive weeks.

He is also seeking N10 billion in aggravated and general damages against both defendants for what he described as a gross violation of his fundamental right to privacy and protection of personal data.

The court is yet to fix a date for hearing the matter.