Who leaked the data? Atiku demands answers from INEC

Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president of Nigeria, has called for clarification from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the allegation of a voter database breach.

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The former vice president was raising concerns over the report that suggested that sensitive voter information might have been exposed. He warned that such incidents could damage public trust in the electoral process.

Atiku, in a statement by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, sent to Legit.ng on Tuesday, June 2, specifically asked the electoral body to make a clarification on how the alleged breach had happened and the measures being taken to ensure such did not happen again.

“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. “What Nigerians want to know is simple: how did information that resides within a restricted electoral database find its way into the hands of political actors and their associates? The fact that there was no external hack does not diminish the gravity of the incident. If anything, it raises even more troubling questions about internal controls, institutional safeguards, and the possibility of political interference.” The former Vice President said the controversy remains particularly disturbing because the material in question was not exposed by whistleblowers, investigative journalists, or anonymous sources but was voluntarily published by Mr. Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. “INEC has confirmed that this information was retrieved using authorized credentials. Nigerians deserve to know how material obtained from a restricted electoral platform found its way into the public domain through individuals closely associated with a serving minister. That question remains unanswered. “What makes this entire episode impossible to ignore is that the information in question did not emerge from a whistleblower, an investigative journalist, or an anti-corruption agency. It was publicly released by Mr. Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. “INEC has now admitted that the information originated from its restricted voter registration database and was accessed using valid official credentials.

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Nigerians are therefore entitled to ask a simple question: how did information stored within a supposedly secure electoral database travel from INEC’s internal system into the possession of the spokesman of a serving minister? “That question becomes even more compelling when viewed against the backdrop of recent political events.

“Only days before this controversy erupted, Minister Wike publicly declared with remarkable certainty that Atiku Abubakar would not secure up to ten percent of the votes in Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election. It was an astonishing claim. Not because politicians are forbidden from making predictions, but because of the confidence, precision, and finality with which it was delivered.

“Ordinarily, such comments could be dismissed as political bravado. However, Nigerians are now confronted with a disturbing reality: individuals operating within the Minister’s political circle have been found in possession of information sourced from INEC’s restricted database.

“The question therefore arises: what was the basis of such extraordinary confidence? Was it merely political chest-thumping, or does it reveal a mindset that believes certain political actors possess privileged access to institutions that are constitutionally required to remain neutral?

“Democracy cannot survive on assurances alone. Electoral integrity depends not only on the actual independence of institutions but also on the public perception of that independence. Once political actors begin to appear unusually familiar with information that should be inaccessible to them, public trust inevitably suffers.

“Minister Wike is not just another politician. He is a powerful member of the ruling establishment and one of the most vocal political actors in the country. Consequently, when sensitive electoral information surfaces through individuals directly associated with him, Nigerians have every right to demand answers.

“This is why the issue can no longer be reduced to the unauthorized disclosure of a single voter record. It has become a test of whether Nigeria’s electoral institutions are truly insulated from political influence or whether politically connected individuals enjoy access and advantages unavailable to ordinary citizens.

“The Nigerian people deserve to know the complete chain of custody. Who accessed the information? Who requested it? Who received it? How did it leave INEC’s custody? And why did the trail lead directly to political actors associated with a serving minister who has repeatedly made unusually confident pronouncements about the outcome of a future election?

“These are not partisan questions. They are questions about the integrity of the democratic process itself. Until they are fully answered, concerns about political interference, privileged access, and the neutrality of key institutions will continue to grow.” Atiku emphasised that the issue extends far beyond the personalities involved.

“This is not about Mr. Olayinka. It is not even about Mr. Wike. It is about the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic institutions and the confidence citizens can place in them.

“Democracy depends on trust. Once citizens begin to suspect that political actors have access to the referee’s notebook, confidence in the entire process begins to erode. Electoral commissions are supposed to inspire confidence, not provoke anxiety.” The former Vice President noted that INEC’s own statement reveals that it has identified the specific user account through which the information was accessed and that relevant personnel have already been questioned.

“That is welcome. But identifying a user account is only the beginning. Nigerians deserve to know the full chain of custody of this information: who accessed it, who authorised its release, how it reached political actors, and whether anyone outside the Commission benefited from or encouraged the unauthorised disclosure.”

He further welcomed the involvement of the Department of State Services (DSS), which INEC says has commenced an independent investigation. “The Nigerian people will expect that investigation to be thorough, impartial, and fearless.

No individual, regardless of political influence or proximity to power, should be beyond scrutiny.” Atiku warned that public confidence in democratic institutions is already under severe strain and that incidents of this nature only deepen existing concerns.

“For years, Nigerians have watched institutions that ought to stand above politics become increasingly entangled in partisan controversies. This incident reinforces the growing fear that some public institutions are being viewed not as national assets but as instruments to be manipulated for political advantage.

“The danger lies not only in actual misconduct but also in public perception. Elections are undermined not merely by manipulation but by the belief that manipulation is possible. Once citizens begin to suspect that electoral systems are vulnerable to partisan influence, the credibility of future elections is placed at risk.”

The former Vice President, therefore, called on INEC to go beyond assurances and provide Nigerians with full transparency.

“INEC must publish the complete findings of its investigation. Nigerians deserve to know precisely what happened, who was responsible, what disciplinary measures will follow, and what reforms are being implemented to prevent a recurrence. “The credibility of the 2027 election will not be determined solely on election day. It is being shaped right now by the willingness of institutions to demonstrate transparency, accountability, and independence.

“Nigeria cannot afford a situation where confidence in electoral institutions is weakened before campaigns have even properly commenced. The Nigerian people deserve to know that their data is protected, that electoral systems remain secure, and that no politician—regardless of influence or position—enjoys privileged access to the machinery of democracy.

“If there has been no compromise, let the facts be made public. If electoral institutions are truly independent, let them demonstrate that independence.

Democracy flourishes in transparency, accountability, and public trust—not in secrecy and unanswered questions.”