Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has taken legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Ike claims they breached his personal data.
In the case with the number FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, which was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, June 15, the actor cum politican says Olayinka posted his voter registration details on 𝕏 without getting his permission.
Recall that the FCT minister’s aide, Olayinka, posted screenshots on 𝕏 that showed Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The information shared by Olayinka had raised questions about whether Ike was eligible to run for a seat in the House of Representatives in Abuja following his recent participation in primary elections.
The post sparked public anger, and many Nigerians accused Olayinka of accessing a password-protected system intended only for INEC officials.
INEC later denied any major breach or external hacking of its Continuous Voter Registration (CRV) database.
The electoral body said the leak of Ike’s voter information happened because someone with valid internal credentials allegedly misused their access.
Investigators from the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team also questioned Olayinka and an electoral officer about the alleged leak of voter data from the INEC portal.
In the suit filed through his counsel, Leonard Adeh, Ike asked the court to declare that Olayinka’s decision to publish his details on 𝕏 without approval “amounts to gross breach and violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data.”
He argued that Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Sections 24 and 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 guaranteed his right to privacy and protection of personal data.
The actor also asked the court to declare that INEC owed him and other voters a “statutory duty of care” to protect their private data against unauthorised access.
Ike is praying the court to award ₦10 billion in damages against INEC and Olayinka for the alleged violation of his fundamental right to privacy.
Part of the suit reads, “A DECLARATION that the Press release by INEC dated 2 June 2026, in reaction to the viral publication and circulation of the Applicant’s personal voter information and private data on the social media by the 1st Respondent (Olayinka), amounts to a tacit admission of guilt and liability to the Applicant, for failure to ensure strict protection, safety and security of the Applicant’s personal voter records and private data, statutorily under its care, custody and protection, which the 1st Respondent accessed, exploited and published on the social media in contravention of the Applicant’s fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data, respectively guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sections 24 & 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
“A DECLARATION that the 1st and 2nd Respondent (INEC) are jointly liable and responsible to the Applicant for breach and gross violation of the Applicant’s fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data, respectively guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sections 24 & 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
“AN ORDER directing the 1st Respondent to immediately retract and pull down the offensive post and publication on his social media 𝕏 handle, @OlayinkaLere, containing screenshots of the Applicant’s personal voter information and private data, unlawfully obtained from INEC’s restricted portal and secured database and to immediately tender an unreserved apology in writing, to the Applicant for the breach and violation of his fundamental right and publish same on the 1st Respondent’s social media 𝕏 handle, @OlayinkaLere, and also published in three (3) National Daily Newspapers: (The Punch, The Nation and This day), to run consecutively for two (2) weeks, in order that the written apology shall be widely circulated and made to go viral, replicating the similar publicity and attention, the offensive post and publication by the 1st Respondent, received on his social media 𝕏 handle and public space.
“₦10,000,000,000.00 (TEN BILLION NAIRA) as aggravated and general damages, jointly and severally against the 1st and 2nd Respondents, in favour of the Applicant, for gross breach and violation of his fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data, respectively guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and sections 24 & 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.”
