The Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Ayo Ologun, has raised concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system following allegations that sensitive voter information from the backend database of the Independent National Electoral Commission was accessed by individuals outside the commission.
Ologun spoke on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he warned that any unauthorised access to INEC’s restricted database could undermine public confidence in elections and expose weaknesses in the country’s data protection framework.
He described the alleged access to the commission’s voter database as a serious matter that goes beyond a technical breach, saying it reflects a broader culture of impunity in governance.
“One of our problems as a nation is that there are often no consequences for action. And 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 said.
Ologun noted that the information in question was not publicly available and could only be obtained through authorised access to a protected 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.
According to him, the issue raises concerns about the safety of citizens’ personal data and the vulnerability of critical electoral infrastructure.
“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.
The governance advocate further alleged that insider collaboration could be responsible for breaches within sensitive institutions.
“Our data as Nigerians are not safe. 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,” he said.
Ologun argued that the matter should be thoroughly investigated, warning that failure to hold anyone accountable could further weaken public trust in government institutions.
“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 said.
He also expressed fears that unauthorised access to backend electoral systems could have implications for election management and result collation.
“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 queried.
Reacting to INEC’s denial that its system was hacked, Ologun acknowledged the commission’s explanation that the access originated from legitimate credentials linked to voter registration personnel. However, he insisted that transparency demanded that those responsible be identified and sanctioned.
“They know who logged in. They know the officials that have that access. What has become of that individual?” he asked.
He maintained that government agencies should proactively provide information to the public instead of operating under a culture of secrecy.
“We live in a nation where they make information look like it is the date of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” he said.
Ologun urged INEC to go beyond issuing statements and ensure that anyone found culpable faces disciplinary measures, stressing that accountability and transparency are essential to preserving confidence in future elections.
He also backed calls by opposition figures for a comprehensive investigation into the controversy, saying political parties had legitimate reasons to be concerned about the security of electoral records.
“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.
