The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared in an Abuja Federal High Court that the voter information associated with actor and political candidate Emeka Ike is neither sensitive nor classified. This statement came as part of a formal response to a lawsuit Emeka Ike initiated on June 15, 2026, under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026.
Emeka Ike is pursuing 10 billion Naira in damages, alleging that his privacy rights were violated when Lere Olayinka, a media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, shared his data on the platform X. Represented by attorney Leonard Adeh, the actor claims this unauthorized publication constitutes a significant breach of data protection laws.
In a counter-affidavit submitted by Anthonia Makwe, an Assistant Director within INEC’s legal department, the commission maintained that it holds the constitutional and statutory authority to distribute voter information to the public as mandated by the Electoral Act of 2026. INEC emphasized that the data in question is routinely published for public scrutiny and is not governed by confidentiality restrictions. Furthermore, INEC clarified that the material shared on X did not originate from its internal databases, noting that it has not failed in its duty to secure voter records.
Lere Olayinka, represented by counsel Akpama Ekwe, also filed a counter-affidavit arguing that the shared information—specifically Ike’s name and passport photo—was already publicly accessible. Olayinka’s defense asserts that because Ike is a public figure and a political candidate, he does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding information he has already presented to the public. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 12, 2026.
