Actor and politician Emeka Ike has vowed to take legal action against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, following the alleged disclosure of his personal voter registration details from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) database.
Ike, an indigene of Imo State who contested the House of Representatives seat for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), described the incident as a serious breach of privacy and an abuse of public office.
The controversy erupted after Olayinka shared what appeared to be Ike’s voter registration information on his X account. In the post, Olayinka claimed the actor had originally registered as a voter in Imo State before transferring his registration to the FCT on May 15, 2026.
Questioning Ike’s eligibility to contest in Abuja, Olayinka wrote that the actor had never voted in the FCT and wondered why he chose to pursue political office there instead of in his home state.
Attached to the post were screenshots that many social media users alleged were obtained from INEC’s administrative portal. The images reportedly contained sensitive personal information, including Ike’s application number, Voter Identification Number (VIN), registration centre, profile photograph, and application date.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Ike condemned the publication of the information, describing it as “shocking” and evidence of widespread impunity in the political system.
“It’s quite shocking, extreme, and the height of political rascality for a government officer to access a citizen’s information from the INEC cyber platform,” he said.
According to the actor, the incident raises serious concerns about data protection and unauthorized access to citizens’ personal records.
“It tells you a lot about the level of impunity in the country. People have access to information they should not have, and that is deplorable. It is not just an insult to me but to every Nigerian and every political party,” he added.
Ike argued that the action sends a dangerous message that private information can be retrieved and publicly shared at will.
“He is telling every Nigerian that whoever you are, your information can be pulled from anywhere and used however he chooses. That kind of rascality must be stopped,” he stated.
The former lawmaker aspirant disclosed that he is prepared to challenge Olayinka through appropriate legal channels, insisting that no one has the right to exploit his personal data.
“Actions are ready. I’m ready to take him on. He has no right to violate my privacy and insult Nigerians the way he did. If he has done this before, this should be the last time,” Ike declared.
The actor also used the opportunity to explain why he chose to contest for a legislative seat in the FCT rather than in Imo State.
According to him, the decision was influenced by repeated appeals from residents who urged him to contribute to the development of Abuja through public service.
“I initially wanted to run in my state, but many people approached me and insisted that Abuja needed representation and fresh ideas. After listening to their concerns and understanding the issues affecting the municipal area, I decided to focus my efforts on helping to build and improve the FCT,” he explained.