INEC Chairman Faces Questions Over Alleged Access to Restricted Electoral Portal by Wike’s Aide

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, is facing growing calls from some political stakeholders and members of the public to provide explanations following controversy surrounding the alleged access of a restricted electoral portal by Lere Olayinka, an aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The controversy emerged after Olayinka, in a post on his X account, shared information relating to a voter identified as Emeka Ike, claiming that the individual was originally registered in Imo State before transferring his voter registration to the FCT on May 15, 2026.

Attached to the post were screenshots that appeared to originate from an administrative section of INEC’s voter registration platform. The images reportedly contained personal details, including the voter’s application number, registration centre, Voter Identification Number (VIN), photograph, name and date of application.

The disclosure has generated widespread reactions, with critics questioning how information from a restricted administrative portal was obtained and whether adequate safeguards exist to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive electoral data.

Some stakeholders have called on INEC to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and to explain whether the information was accessed through official authorization or by other means.

The development has also sparked concerns about voter data protection, electoral transparency and public confidence in the management of sensitive information held by the electoral commission.

Several commentators and civil society actors have urged INEC to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and make its findings public, arguing that transparency is necessary to maintain trust in the electoral process.

As of the time of filing this report, INEC had not issued a detailed public statement addressing the specific allegations surrounding the screenshots or the reported access to the administrative portal.

The controversy continues to attract attention across political circles, with calls for accountability and a comprehensive review of data security measures within the electoral system.