From Dispatch Room
Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Comrade Ayo Ologun, has raised serious concerns over the alleged exposure of sensitive voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s backend database, warning that the development could signal deeper problems of electoral vulnerability, institutional sabotage, and weak accountability structures in Nigeria.
Ologun made the remarks during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, while reacting to the controversy surrounding the alleged access to voter information linked to actor and politician Emeka Ike.
According to him, the issue goes beyond ordinary data exposure and raises fundamental questions about how individuals outside INEC’s official structure could allegedly gain access to sensitive information stored within a password-protected electoral system.
“One of our problems as a nation is that there are often no consequences for action,” Ologun said. “When there is no precedence of ensuring that there are consequences for actions taken or inactions, what you create is a society where everybody becomes law or a lord unto himself.”
He stressed that the information allegedly exposed was not publicly accessible material but part of a restricted backend system.
“This is not a general information. It is not something that you can Google search. It is not something that you can access by research. It is a document that is passworded,” he stated.
Describing the seriousness of the allegation, Ologun said the data appeared to originate from the backend server of the voter registration system, adding that such information ordinarily requires authorised institutional access.
“It is a document from the backend, which means if you do not have access officially to such, you cannot have what is obtainable at that backend server,” he added.
He warned that if unauthorised access is confirmed, it could damage public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and raise broader fears about voter data security.
“Our data as Nigerians are not safe,” he alleged, while suggesting that insider compromise within sensitive institutions remains a growing threat.
According to him, “Within every system, including the military as we have seen over the years, and now INEC, there are saboteurs, people who are within the system, looking for powers outside of the system.”
Ologun also criticised what he described as a culture of impunity among political actors and public officials, warning that weak enforcement of laws encourages abuse of power.
Reacting to past controversial comments linked to political figures, he argued that some statements and actions which ordinarily should trigger investigations are often ignored because of political influence.
“This is what you get when you embody individuals to begin to see themselves as bigger than the law,” he said.
The civic advocate maintained that the alleged INEC access controversy must not be trivialised, insisting that accountability measures must follow any confirmed breach.
“If Lere Olayinka gets away with this, it shows that we have laws that are different. One for the poor and the ordinary. One for those who are in power,” he warned.
He further raised concerns about the electoral implications of backend vulnerabilities, questioning whether such access could potentially affect confidence in election result management.
“If an individual, through whatever means, can have access to information at the back end… who says that same person cannot influence the collation of results?” he asked.
Reacting to INEC’s clarification that no external hacking occurred and that the access was linked to legitimate user credentials assigned to officials participating in the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, Ologun said institutions must still ensure transparency and accountability.
“They know who logged in. They know the officials that have that access… what has become of that individual?” he queried.
He argued that public trust can only be restored if institutions communicate disciplinary actions and system reforms clearly rather than relying solely on official statements.
“We live in a nation where they make information look like it is the date of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” he said while criticising excessive secrecy in public administration.
Ologun urged INEC to go beyond media statements by ensuring proper investigations, sanctions, and stronger safeguards for electoral systems ahead of future elections.
He also supported calls for a broader investigation into the incident, insisting that political parties have legitimate reasons to worry about the security of electoral records and voter data.
“If this can happen with the information of voters, then as a political party, they are right to not be comfortable with what could happen with the record of our votes,” he said.
The activist additionally commented on Nigeria’s wider political environment ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that fragmented opposition coalitions and internal party rivalries could strengthen the ruling APC’s electoral advantage.
He argued that opposition politics in Nigeria remains heavily influenced by elite negotiations, regional calculations, and competing ambitions rather than coordinated national strategy.
According to him, divided opposition votes could ultimately benefit President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects if rival political actors fail to build a united front.
“The electoral landscape remains complex, unpredictable, and heavily shaped by elite bargaining rather than unified voter blocs,” Ologun concluded.
— Newspot Nigeria
