Atiku Reacts to Unauthorised Access to INEC Voter Database
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide answers over the unauthorised access and disclosure of information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.
Atiku made the demand in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, following concerns over the alleged unauthorised access to INEC’s CVR system and the release of information linked to a political party candidate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The controversy comes after INEC, in a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed that it had launched an investigation into the incident. The electoral body, however, maintained that there was no breach of its ICT infrastructure.
Reacting to the development, Atiku said INEC’s explanation had heightened the need for a comprehensive, transparent, and independent probe into the matter.
According to him, while the commission sought to assure Nigerians that there was no external hacking of its systems, it nonetheless admitted that sensitive voter information was accessed using valid official credentials and later released without authorisation.
“Atiku noted that INEC’s statement has taken the issue beyond speculation, as the commission acknowledged that voter data was accessed through credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise and subsequently disclosed without approval.
He argued that the incident raises serious concerns about the integrity of INEC’s internal controls, institutional safeguards, and the possibility of political interference.
“What Nigerians want to know is how information stored in a restricted electoral database ended up in the hands of political actors and their associates.
“The absence of an external hack does not lessen the seriousness of the matter. Rather, it raises deeper questions about accountability and the protection of sensitive voter information,” he stated.
