ABUJA, Nigeria — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has launched an investigation into allegations of unauthorized access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database following reports that information relating to a candidate in a recent political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory was improperly disclosed.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the electoral body said it takes the allegations seriously and has begun a comprehensive review to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. According to the commission, preliminary findings indicate that the information was accessed using valid credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise, rather than through an external cyberattack or hacking attempt.
Okay News reports that INEC said authorized registration officers are granted limited access to specific sections of the CVR system to carry out official duties, including registering new voters, processing transfers, and updating voter records. The commission disclosed that its audit trail has identified the user account through which the information was accessed, prompting the questioning of relevant personnel as investigations continue.
The electoral commission emphasized that there is no evidence of a breach of its broader voter registration infrastructure or compromise of the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters. It
