The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended an electoral officer allegedly linked to the recent breach of voter data, with the commission saying investigations by security agencies and data protection regulators are ongoing.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Thursday during a fireside chat on the just concluded Ekiti governorship election organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in Abuja.

The suspension follows a controversy that erupted after voter registration details belonging to actor and politician Emeka Ike were circulated online during a dispute arising from a political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The publication of the information triggered concerns about the security of voter records and prompted calls for an investigation into the source of the leak.

In response, INEC announced that it had commenced an investigation into what it described as an unauthorised disclosure of information obtained from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.

The commission said preliminary findings showed there was no external hacking of its ICT infrastructure and no broader compromise of the voter register.

Rather, the information was allegedly accessed through valid credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise and subsequently released without authorisation.

INEC stated that its internal audit trail helped investigators identify the specific user account used to retrieve the voter record, leading to the questioning of personnel with access to the system.

The commission stressed that the incident involved a single voter record and did not affect the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters contained in its database.

The commission subsequently referred the matter to security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, both of which launched separate investigations.

Haruna said the commission moved swiftly after becoming aware of the incident, placing the official on suspension and initiating an internal investigation.

According to him, the officer has since been removed from his position pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.

“As soon as this thing happened, of course we were worried and we took immediate steps. As I am talking to you now, the officer involved is under suspension. He is no longer functioning in that office,” Haruna said.

He explained that the commission had already concluded its internal inquiry into the matter and referred the case to relevant authorities for further action.

Haruna disclosed that the officer admitted involvement in the incident and allegedly acted out of personal grievances arising from previous interactions with political actors.

While declining to provide extensive details because of ongoing investigations, he said the commission regarded the matter as serious and acted in line with established procedures.

According to him, the case has been reported to the relevant data protection authorities, while the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) are conducting separate investigations.

“The police have done their own investigation. The DSS has also conducted investigations. We have completed our own internal investigation and suspended the officer. We are waiting for the final reports before taking the next step,” he said.

Haruna noted that the commission would determine further disciplinary measures after reviewing the findings of the security agencies and regulatory authorities.

The INEC commissioner, however, maintained that the incident should not be viewed as evidence of systemic weaknesses within the commission’s data management system.

He said the commission has continued to strengthen safeguards around voter information and remains committed to protecting the personal data of Nigerians contained in its databases.

Haruna also stressed the need for public understanding of how voter information is collected, stored and managed, arguing that increased awareness could help counter misinformation surrounding election technology and data security.

According to him, INEC would continue to work with stakeholders, including data protection regulators, civil society organisations and security agencies, to improve confidence in the management of voter information ahead of future elections. (The Guardian)

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