The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that one of its staff members is under investigation for the unauthorised disclosure of a voter record belonging to a candidate who participated in a recent party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The development was disclosed on Tuesday in a statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, following widespread allegations on social media and in sections of the media suggesting that the commission’s Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database had been compromised.
According to INEC, preliminary findings from its internal audit revealed that there was no external breach of its CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised access to its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure.
Rather, the commission stated that the voter information was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise and was subsequently released without authorisation.
“Preliminary findings from the Commission’s audit trail so far indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure. Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authority,” Haruna said.
INEC explained that registration officers participating in the nationwide CVR exercise were granted restricted access to specific components of the database solely for official duties, including the registration of new voters, processing transfer requests, and updating voter records.
The commission noted that its audit trail enabled investigators to identify the specific user account through which the voter record was retrieved. It added that relevant personnel have already been questioned, while all departments connected to the incident are cooperating fully with ongoing investigations.
INEC further disclosed that it is examining all technical, administrative, and operational aspects of the incident to establish individual responsibility and determine whether internal access-control protocols were violated.
The commission stressed that only a single voter record was involved in the incident and assured Nigerians that the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters remains secure. It maintained that the integrity of the country’s voter registration infrastructure has not been compromised.
Meanwhile, INEC revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has commenced an independent investigation into the matter. The commission pledged full cooperation with the security agency and other relevant authorities.
It also warned that any individual found culpable would face prosecution in accordance with the law.
INEC urged the public and the media to avoid speculation while investigations are ongoing and assured Nigerians that the findings of the probe, along with any corrective measures taken, will be made public upon conclusion of the process.
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