POLITICS
Voter Register Is Public Document – INEC Asks Court To Dismiss Emeka Ike’s ₦10bn Privacy Suit, Denies Leaking Data
-
INEC asks Federal High Court to dismiss Emeka Ike’s ₦10bn privacy suit, insisting Nigeria’s voter register is a public document under the Electoral Act 2026
-
Electoral Commission denies leaking the actor’s voter registration details, says the information complained of is neither confidential nor classified
-
Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, tells court the information posted on X was already in the public domain and obtained lawfully
-
High-profile case testing the limits of Nigeria’s data protection laws and electoral transparency adjourned until October 12 for hearing
July 22, () — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a ₦10 billion privacy suit filed by Nollywood actor and House of Representatives aspirant, Emeka Ike, insisting that the national register of voters is a public document whose contents can lawfully be displayed and published in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026.
The electoral body also denied allegations that it leaked Ike’s personal information to Mr Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, maintaining that the information complained of was neither confidential nor unlawfully disclosed.
reports that the suit (marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026) stems from the publication of Ike’s voter registration details on the social media platform X, which the plaintiff claims violated his constitutional right to privacy and personal data protection.
Ike, who aspired to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), is seeking ₦10 billion in damages against INEC and Olayinka, alleging that his voter registration details were unlawfully made public without his consent.
Through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, the plaintiff argued that although Olayinka made the publication, the information originated from confidential records exclusively held by INEC, thereby making the Commission liable for the alleged breach.
INEC Defends Voter Register Publication
In a counter-affidavit filed before the court, INEC firmly rejected the allegations and maintained that it acted strictly within the law.
The affidavit, deposed to by Anthonia Makwe, an Assistant Director and Data Protection Officer in the Commission’s Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, stated that information supplied by registered voters is not classified or confidential and is subject to publication under the Electoral Act.
INEC argued that its constitutional and statutory responsibilities include compiling, maintaining, displaying, publishing, certifying and managing the national register of voters in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
According to the Commission, it is legally empowered to publish voter information without first obtaining the consent of registered voters, as the display of the register is intended to promote transparency, public scrutiny and the integrity of the electoral process.
The Commission further maintained that the information cited by the plaintiff does not qualify as sensitive personal data requiring special protection under the law.
While denying that it supplied Ike’s information to Olayinka or any third party, INEC urged the court to reject the allegation that it breached its duty to safeguard personal information contained in its database.
Olayinka Says Information Was Already Public
Olayinka also urged the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit. In a counter-affidavit filed through his counsel, Akpama Ekwe maintained that the information he shared on X was already in the public domain and had not been obtained unlawfully.
According to him, the publication merely contained Ike’s name and passport photograph and did not disclose any confidential or sensitive information.
He argued that he owed the plaintiff no duty of confidentiality and that the information had already been made publicly available under the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Olayinka further contended that Ike, as a politician seeking elective office and a notable public figure, could not reasonably claim to have suffered trauma from the circulation of information he voluntarily submitted as part of the electoral process.
He also relied on Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates INEC to display and publish the register of voters before every general election to enable members of the public to verify entries and raise objections where necessary.
Court Adjourns Case
After considering the filings by all parties, Justice Salim Ibrahim adjourned the matter until October 12, 2026, for hearing.
The case is expected to test the legal boundaries between citizens’ constitutional right to privacy, Nigeria’s data protection regime and INEC’s statutory obligation to publish and display the national register of voters ahead of elections.
Background
The lawsuit comes at a time when issues relating to data protection and electoral transparency are attracting increasing public attention ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 provides safeguards for the processing and protection of personal information, the Electoral Act 2026 requires INEC to compile, display and publish the register of voters to allow public verification of voter records and enhance the credibility of the electoral process.
The court’s eventual decision is expected to provide judicial clarity on whether the publication of information contained in the voters’ register constitutes a lawful statutory obligation or could, in certain circumstances, amount to a violation of citizens’ privacy rights.
