INEC Tells Court Emeka Ike’s Voter Data Is Public, Opposes N10bn Privacy Suit

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a ₦10 billion privacy suit filed by Nollywood actor and House of Representatives aspirant, Emeka Ike, arguing that the information at the centre of the case is public and not protected as confidential data.

Emeka Ike, who is seeking election to the House of Representatives on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), filed the suit against INEC and Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The actor is claiming ₦10 billion in damages over the alleged violation of his fundamental right to privacy after Olayinka shared his information on X.

Through his lawyer, Leonard Adeh, Ike is asking the court to declare that the publication of his personal information without his consent amounted to a breach of his constitutional right to privacy and the protection of personal data.

Responding in a counter-affidavit filed before the court, INEC maintained that the information in question was neither classified nor confidential. The affidavit, deposed to by Anthonia Makwe, an Assistant Director and Data Protection Officer in the commission’s Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, stated that the Electoral Act 2026 empowers the commission to publish voter information for public scrutiny.

According to INEC, the commission has a constitutional and statutory responsibility to compile, maintain, display, publish and manage the national voters’ register. It argued that the information complained of falls within records that are legally available to the public and can be published without obtaining the consent of registered voters.

INEC further told the court that the material shared on X did not originate from its database and insisted it had not breached its duty to safeguard voters’ personal information.

Lere Olayinka also challenged Ike’s claims in a separate counter-affidavit filed through his counsel, Akpama Ekwe. He argued that the information he shared contained only the actor’s name and passport photograph, which were already in the public domain.

Olayinka further maintained that, as a public figure and political aspirant, Emeka Ike could not reasonably claim emotional distress over the circulation of information he voluntarily submitted while seeking elective office. He also relied on Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires INEC to display or publish voters’ registers before general elections for public scrutiny.

The Federal High Court has adjourned the matter until October 12, 2026, when it is expected to hear arguments from all parties.