Emeka Ike sues INEC, Wike’s aide Lere over alleged voter data breach, demands ₦10bn damages

Veteran Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike, has instituted a ₦10 billion lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka over the alleged unlawful disclosure of his personal voter information.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on June 15, 2026.

The legal action follows a controversy that erupted in May after Olayinka shared screenshots on X purportedly showing details of Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The information, which allegedly originated from a restricted INEC administrative portal, was posted amid questions surrounding the actor’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in Abuja.

The publication triggered widespread criticism, with many Nigerians alleging that sensitive voter data had been accessed and disclosed without authorisation.

Although INEC later denied claims that its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database had been hacked, the commission admitted that the disclosure resulted from the misuse of valid internal credentials by authorised personnel.

Subsequently, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team reportedly questioned both Olayinka and an electoral officer over the alleged leak.

In the suit filed through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, Ike argued that the publication of his voter records without consent amounted to a gross violation of his constitutional right to privacy and protection of personal data.

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 as the legal basis for his claims.

The actor is asking the court to declare that INEC failed in its statutory responsibility to safeguard voters’ personal information and that Olayinka’s publication of the data was unlawful.

He further seeks an order compelling Olayinka to delete the post from his X account, issue a written apology, and publish the apology in three national newspapers for two consecutive weeks.

In addition, Ike is demanding ₦10 billion in aggravated and general damages against both defendants for the alleged breach of his privacy and personal data rights.

The case is expected to test the application of Nigeria’s data protection laws and could have significant implications for the handling of voter information by public institutions.

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