Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over an alleged breach of his personal data privacy.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026 was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, June 15.
Mr Ike is demanding N10 billion in damages.
The legal action follows an incident in May when Olayinka shared screenshots on the social media platform X showing details of the actor’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to Abuja.
Olayinka posted the information, which appeared to have been retrieved from a restricted INEC administrative portal, while questioning the actor’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in Abuja.
The post drew widespread criticism from Nigerians who accused the media aide of obtaining unauthorized access to a password-protected backend system reserved for electoral officials.
In response to the public outcry, INEC dismissed claims of an external hack or database breach, attributing the unauthorized disclosure to the misuse of valid internal credentials by its own personnel.
Consequently, investigators from the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) questioned both Olayinka and an electoral officer regarding the data leak.
THe actor through his counsel, Leonard Adeh, is seeking a court declaration that the publication of his database on social media without his consent constitutes a gross violation of his fundamental right to privacy and personal data protection. The legal team argues that these rights are protected under 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.
The suit further contends that INEC failed in its statutory duty of care to protect private voter data from unauthorized access.
The actor’s prayers to the court include:
“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.
“N10,000,000,000.00 (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.”
