Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has instituted a lawsuit 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 unauthorised disclosure of his personal voter information.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, June 15. Ike is challenging the publication of his voter registration details on X, which he claims was done without his consent.
The controversy began in May when Olayinka shared screenshots on X showing details of Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory. The post was made amid questions surrounding the actor’s eligibility to contest for a House of Representatives seat in Abuja following his participation in recent primary elections.
The publication triggered widespread criticism, with many Nigerians alleging that the information was obtained through unauthorised access to INEC’s restricted voter database. However, INEC later denied claims of an external hack, stating that the disclosure resulted from the misuse of legitimate internal access credentials by authorised personnel.
The matter also attracted the attention of law enforcement agencies, with investigators from the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team reportedly questioning both Olayinka and an electoral officer over the alleged leak.
Through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, Ike is asking the court to declare that the publication of his voter information violated his constitutional right to privacy and data protection. 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 in support of his claims.
The actor further argued that INEC has a legal responsibility to safeguard the personal information of registered voters and prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data.
Among the reliefs sought, Ike is requesting a court order compelling Olayinka to delete the social media post containing his voter details and issue a public apology. He also wants the apology published on Olayinka’s X account and in three national newspapers for two consecutive weeks.
In addition, Ike is demanding ₦10 billion in aggravated and general damages from both INEC and Olayinka, alleging a gross violation of his privacy and personal data protection rights.
The suit also contends that INEC’s June 2, 2026 press statement on the incident amounted to an admission of responsibility for failing to adequately protect the applicant’s voter records and personal information.
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