Prominent Nollywood actor, filmmaker, and political aspirant Emeka Ike has expressed deep shock and personal insecurity following the unauthorized leak and public dissemination of his confidential voter registration details from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) database. Ike has instructed his legal team to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against those responsible.
The incident came to light after Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly shared screenshots of Ike’s restricted voter information on social media amid a political controversy. Ike, who is vying for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), described the breach as a grave violation of privacy and an abuse of power.
“It was shocking. It was so disturbing that I felt unsafe. I felt insecure. For the first time, I’m feeling like, is anybody safe in this country anymore?” Ike stated. He emphasized that the exposure left him vulnerable and raised broader concerns about the security of citizens’ personal data and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Ike’s legal representatives have faulted both the individual who published the information and INEC for the apparent internal access that enabled the leak. They have demanded full accountability, including an investigation into how the data was obtained and disseminated without authorization. INEC has acknowledged that the information was accessed via valid internal user credentials during the continuous voter registration exercise but was released without authority, prompting separate investigations by security agencies.
“This is not just an attack on me as an individual; it undermines public trust in our institutions and poses risks to the safety and privacy of all Nigerians,” Ike added. “My lawyers have already written to the parties involved, and we expect a response within 48 hours. We are prepared to pursue this matter vigorously in court to ensure justice is served and to deter future breaches.”
Emeka Ike, a celebrated figure in Nollywood known for his iconic roles since the 1990s, has called on relevant authorities, including the Nigerian Data Protection Commission, to strengthen safeguards around sensitive personal information held by public institutions.