The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has traced the source of an alleged voter data leak to an internal user account and launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident, amid growing concerns over the security of electoral records.

INEC disclosed on Tuesday that preliminary findings from its audit trail identified the account used to access and release information linked to a candidate in a recent political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory.

In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission said the matter was being handled with urgency and seriousness.

According to INEC, authorised personnel participating in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise are granted restricted access to specific parts of the system strictly for official duties such as new registrations, transfers and voter record updates.

However, the commission revealed that information connected to the controversy was accessed using valid user credentials but disclosed without approval.

“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed,” the statement said, adding that affected personnel had already been questioned while relevant departments continued to cooperate with investigators.

INEC stressed that its initial findings found no evidence of hacking, cyber intrusion or unauthorised external access to its digital infrastructure.

“Preliminary findings indicate there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident and no compromise of the Commission’s ICT infrastructure,” the electoral body stated.

The commission further clarified that the investigation concerns the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not suggest any wider compromise of its voter registration system or the personal information of over 90 million registered voters.

Reaffirming its commitment to data protection and institutional accountability, INEC said it would thoroughly examine the technical, administrative and operational dimensions of the incident to establish responsibility and determine whether internal access protocols were violated.

The commission also revealed that the Department of State Services had opened an independent investigation into the matter, pledging full cooperation with security agencies and warning that anyone found culpable would face legal consequences.

The development follows public controversy surrounding the alleged exposure of actor Emeka Ike’s voter information after screenshots believed to have originated from an INEC administrative portal surfaced online.

INEC urged the public and media organisations to avoid speculation while investigations continue, assuring Nigerians that its findings and any actions taken would be made public at the appropriate time. (The Sun)