Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, before a Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged unlawful disclosure of his personal voter information.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026 and filed on June 15, Ike is seeking N10 billion in damages for what he described as a gross violation of his constitutional right to privacy and protection of personal data.
The lawsuit follows a controversy that erupted in May after Olayinka published screenshots on his X (formerly Twitter) account showing details of Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The information, which appeared to have been obtained from a restricted administrative portal of INEC, was shared amid public debate over Ike’s eligibility to contest for a House of Representatives seat in Abuja following his participation in recent political primary activities.
The publication triggered widespread outrage, with many Nigerians questioning how sensitive voter information from a password-protected electoral database became publicly accessible. Critics accused Olayinka of obtaining unauthorised access to a backend platform reserved exclusively for INEC officials.
Following the incident, INEC denied claims that its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database had been hacked or compromised by external actors. The electoral body, however, acknowledged that the disclosure resulted from the misuse of valid internal credentials by authorised personnel.
The controversy also prompted an investigation by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), who reportedly questioned Olayinka and an electoral officer over the alleged leak of voter information from the commission’s portal.
In the fresh suit, filed through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, Ike argued that the publication of his voter records without his consent constituted a serious breach of his privacy rights as guaranteed under 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.
He asked the court to declare that Olayinka’s publication of his personal data on social media was unlawful and unconstitutional.
The actor further argued that INEC owed him and millions of other registered voters a statutory duty of care to protect their personal information from unauthorised access, misuse and public disclosure.
According to the court documents, Ike is seeking a declaration that INEC’s press statement of June 2, 2026, issued in response to the controversy, amounted to a tacit admission of liability for failing to adequately secure his voter records.
He also wants the court to hold both INEC and Olayinka jointly liable for violating his fundamental rights.
Among the reliefs sought is an order compelling Olayinka to immediately delete the social media post containing screenshots of the actor’s voter information and tender an unreserved public apology.
Ike further requested that the apology be published on Olayinka’s X account and in three national newspapers for two consecutive weeks.
The actor is also demanding N10 billion as aggravated and general damages against both defendants for what he described as a gross breach of privacy and unlawful exposure of his personal data.
The suit is expected to test the scope of Nigeria’s data protection laws and the obligations of public institutions in safeguarding citizens’ personal information in an increasingly digital electoral system.
Part of the suit read:
“A DECLARATION that the Press release by INEC dated 2 June 2026, in reaction to the viral publication and circulation of the Applicant’s personal voter information and private data on the social media by the 1st Respondent (Olayinka), amounts to a tacit admission of guilt and liability to the Applicant, for failure to ensure strict protection, safety and security of the Applicant’s personal voter records and private data, statutorily under its care, custody and protection, which the 1st Respondent accessed, exploited and published on the social media in contravention of the Applicant’s fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data, respectively guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sections 24 & 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023,” part of the suit reads.
“A DECLARATION that the 1st and 2nd Respondent (INEC) are jointly liable and responsible to the Applicant for breach and gross violation of the Applicant’s fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data, respectively guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sections 24 & 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
“AN ORDER directing the 1st Respondent to immediately retract and pull down the offensive post and publication on his social media X handle, @OlayinkaLere, containing screenshots of the Applicant’s personal voter information and private data, unlawfully obtained from INEC’s restricted portal and secured database and to immediately tender an unreserved apology in writing, to the Applicant for the breach and violation of his fundamental right and publish same on the 1st Respondent’s social media X handle, @OlayinkaLere, and also published in three (3) National Daily Newspapers: (The Punch, The Nation and This day), to run consecutively for two (2) weeks, in order that the written apology shall be widely circulated and made to go viral, replicating the similar publicity and attention, the offensive post and publication by the 1st Respondent, received on his social media X handle and public space.
“N10,000,000,000.00 (TEN BILLION NAIRA) as aggravated and general damages, jointly and severally against the 1st and 2nd Respondents, in favour of the Applicant, for gross breach and violation of his fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data, respectively guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sections 24 & 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.”
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