Nollywood star and politician, Emeka Ike, has taken legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged unlawful disclosure of his personal voter information.
In a suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the actor is seeking N10 billion in damages, accusing the defendants of violating his constitutional right to privacy and breaching provisions of Nigeria’s data protection laws.
The case follows a controversy that erupted in May when Olayinka posted screenshots on his X handle showing details of Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The information, which appeared to have been sourced from an internal section of INEC’s voter registration platform, was shared during a public debate over the actor’s eligibility to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives in Abuja.
The disclosure immediately sparked widespread criticism, with many Nigerians questioning how information from a restricted electoral database found its way into the public domain.
Public concern deepened after observers alleged that the data could only have been obtained through access to a password-protected administrative portal reserved for authorised election officials.
Although INEC later denied reports that its voter registration database had been hacked, the commission admitted that the information was improperly accessed through the misuse of valid internal credentials.
The electoral body maintained that the incident did not result from an external cyberattack but rather from actions taken by individuals with authorised access to the system.
The matter subsequently attracted the attention of law enforcement authorities, leading to the questioning of Olayinka and an electoral officer by investigators probing the circumstances surrounding the leak.
However, Ike has now turned to the courts, arguing that both INEC and Olayinka should be held accountable for the exposure of his personal information.
Through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, the actor contended that the publication of his voter details without his consent amounted to a gross violation of rights guaranteed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
He asked the court to declare that the dissemination of his voter records on social media constituted an unlawful invasion of his privacy and a breach of statutory obligations relating to the protection of personal data.
Ike further argued that INEC, as the custodian of sensitive voter information, bears a legal responsibility to ensure that such records remain secure and inaccessible to unauthorised persons.
According to him, the commission failed in that responsibility when information stored within its database was accessed and publicly circulated.
The actor is also asking the court to hold both defendants jointly liable for the alleged breach and to declare that INEC’s public explanation of the incident effectively acknowledged a failure in its duty to protect voter information.
In addition to the monetary compensation, Ike is seeking an order directing Olayinka to delete the social media post containing the disputed information and publish an unreserved apology.
He wants the apology circulated on the same social media platform and published in three national newspapers for two consecutive weeks.
The claimant argued that such measures are necessary to address the reputational and personal consequences arising from the widespread circulation of the information.
At the centre of the suit is a broader question about data security and privacy protections in Nigeria, particularly as government agencies continue to collect and store large volumes of citizens’ personal information.
Legal observers say the case could become a landmark test of the Nigeria Data Protection Act and help define the obligations of public institutions in safeguarding personal records.
The actor insists that the matter goes beyond his individual grievance and touches on the rights of millions of Nigerians whose personal information is held by public agencies.
Should the court rule in his favour, the decision could have far-reaching implications for data management practices, institutional accountability and privacy protection across the country.
The court is expected to fix a date for hearing after the defendants are served with the originating processes.
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