Nollywood actor Emeka Ike's voter registration details were leaked by an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official during a protest at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) office on May 29, 2026. The electoral officer, assigned to AMAC, accessed Ike's data through the INEC portal after protesters, led by Ike, blocked the exit gate of the office, alleging irregularities in a party primary election. The official directed a subordinate to take a screenshot of Ike's voter information from the INEC Voter Enrolment Device and later shared it with Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to Minister Nyesom Wike, via WhatsApp after initial contact on Facebook Messenger.
Olayinka had earlier posted videos of the protest on social media and was subsequently contacted by the INEC official. He later questioned Ike's eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in Abuja, citing a voter registration transfer from Imo State to the FCT dated May 15, 2026, which had not yet been officially approved. Ike vowed legal action against Olayinka over the disclosure. The Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team detained the INEC official and invited Olayinka for questioning following a police petition. The petition, filed by a top security aide to the INEC chairman, alleged criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, leaking of classified documents, and conduct likely to breach public peace. Police sources confirmed the investigation is ongoing, with both individuals in the custody of authorities.
An INEC official bypassed protocol to share Emeka Ike's voter data with a political aide, undermining the commission's credibility. The leak occurred amid a protest Ike led, yet the official chose to disclose sensitive information instead of following due process. Sharing confidential data with a partisan figure exposes vulnerabilities in electoral oversight. Nigerians whose data is held by INEC now face heightened risk of similar exposure during political tensions.
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