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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over the unauthorised release of voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database, warning that the incident could undermine public confidence in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the controversy had exposed what he described as vulnerabilities within Nigeria’s electoral system and raised fresh questions about the neutrality and security of key democratic institutions.
The former presidential candidate noted that although INEC had maintained that its database was not hacked by external actors, the commission had acknowledged that sensitive voter information was accessed through official credentials and subsequently released without authorisation.
According to him, the admission shifted the issue from speculation to a matter of serious national concern, arguing that the use of legitimate access credentials to obtain and disseminate voter data was as troubling as an external cyberattack.
Atiku maintained that the revelation pointed to possible weaknesses in INEC’s internal controls and data protection mechanisms. He said Nigerians deserved answers on how sensitive information left the custody of the electoral body and whether institutional safeguards were deliberately circumvented.
The former vice president also linked the controversy to recent political developments involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He questioned circumstances surrounding comments allegedly made by the minister predicting his electoral performance in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku argued that the public release of voter information by Wike’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, had intensified concerns about possible political interference in institutions expected to remain independent and non-partisan.
He challenged authorities to disclose the complete chain of custody of the voter information, including details of who accessed the data, who requested it, who received it, and how it was released outside official channels.
According to him, the credibility of the 2027 elections is already being tested, stressing that public trust in electoral institutions must be protected long before campaigns begin.
While welcoming INEC’s confirmation that the specific user account involved had been identified and relevant officials questioned, Atiku insisted that accountability must go beyond identifying a single account holder.
He also expressed support for the independent investigation launched by the Department of State Services, urging the security agency to conduct a transparent and thorough probe capable of restoring public confidence.
Meanwhile, INEC has confirmed that preliminary investigations traced the unauthorised access to a user account assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
In a statement signed by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission disclosed that authorised personnel are granted limited access to the CVR system strictly for official registration-related duties.
The electoral body said its audit trail showed that information connected to the controversy was accessed using valid credentials and later disclosed without approval. It, however, emphasised that there was no evidence of hacking, cyber intrusion, or any compromise of its broader ICT infrastructure.
INEC further clarified that the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not indicate a wider breach affecting the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters nationwide.
The commission pledged to continue investigating the technical, administrative and operational circumstances surrounding the incident, while promising that anyone found culpable would face appropriate sanctions.
The controversy emerged after screenshots believed to have originated from an INEC administrative portal surfaced online, allegedly revealing voter information linked to Nollywood actor Emeka Ike. INEC has urged Nigerians to avoid speculation as investigations by both the commission and the DSS continue.
