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Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike has threatened legal action against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged exposure of his personal voter information obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s database. The controversy erupted after Olayinka shared screenshots on social media showing details of Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory, where the actor recently contested for a House of Representatives seat under the Nigeria Democratic Congress. 
The screenshots allegedly contained sensitive information including Ike’s voter identification details, application number, registration centre, profile photograph, and the date of his voter transfer request. Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Ike described the incident as a serious violation of privacy and questioned how a political appointee was able to access information from what appeared to be an INEC administrative portal. He argued that the disclosure represented a dangerous abuse of access to citizens’ personal data and vowed to pursue legal remedies against those responsible. 
According to Ike, the publication of his voter records goes beyond a personal attack and raises broader concerns about the security of electoral data in Nigeria. He accused Olayinka of what he termed political intimidation and “rascality,” insisting that no government official has the right to access and publicise a citizen’s confidential information. The actor maintained that his decision to transfer his voter registration to Abuja was lawful and connected to his political ambition in the Federal Capital Territory, dismissing attempts to portray the move as suspicious. 
The incident has triggered widespread debate about data protection and electoral integrity, prompting INEC to launch an investigation into the source of the leak. The commission disclosed that its preliminary audit trail identified the user account through which the information was accessed and confirmed that relevant personnel had been questioned. INEC, however, stated that there was no evidence of hacking or an external breach of its systems, stressing that the information was obtained through valid credentials assigned to officials participating in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise. The commission added that the Department of State Services has also commenced an independent investigation, while anyone found culpable could face legal consequences. 
