Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide immediate answers regarding the unauthorised disclosure of information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
Atiku made the demand in a statement by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, following revelations that voter information was accessed using official credentials and released without authorisation.
The controversy arose after concerns were raised over access to INEC’s CVR system and the publication of voter registration details relating to a political party candidate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Earlier on Tuesday, INEC confirmed that it had launched an investigation into the incident. While the electoral commission ruled out any external hacking or breach of its ICT infrastructure, it acknowledged that the information had been accessed through valid credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Reacting to the development, Atiku said INEC’s admission had heightened rather than eased public concerns and underscored the need for a comprehensive, transparent, and independent investigation.
According to him, the commission’s confirmation that sensitive voter information was accessed through official channels and subsequently released without authorisation raised serious questions about internal controls and data protection measures.
“INEC’s statement has moved this issue beyond conjecture. The Commission has now confirmed that voter information was accessed through credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise and that such information was released without authority.
‘’That admission alone should concern every Nigerian,” the statement said.
Atiku questioned how information contained within a restricted electoral database found its way into the possession of political actors and their associates.
He argued that the absence of an external cyberattack did not reduce the seriousness of the matter but instead shifted attention to possible weaknesses within the commission’s internal systems and oversight mechanisms.
