INEC Confirms Internal Breach of Voter Data Security

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed on Tuesday that an internal breach led to unauthorized access to its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database, resulting in the disclosure of voter personal records associated with recent party primaries. Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the chairman of INEC's voter education committee, stated that the commission's preliminary investigation indicated no external cyberattack or hacking of its ICT infrastructure.

Instead, the breach was traced to legitimate user credentials assigned to personnel involved in the ongoing CVR exercise. INEC confirmed that access to specific parts of the database is strictly monitored and limited to official duties.

The commission is conducting an internal audit to identify the specific user accounts involved and is cooperating with the DSS, which has initiated its own independent investigation. INEC reassured the public that the data of the 90 million registered voters remains secure and that the integrity of the voter database has not been compromised.