The police have interrogated FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, and arrested an INEC insider over the unauthorized release of confidential voter data.
Inside sources revealed that the FID-IRT launched the investigation following a petition alleging cybercrimes and the illegal exposure of actor Emeka Ike’s personal registration details.
The suspect—an INEC Electoral Officer for the Abuja Municipal Area Council—allegedly leaked the protected records to fuel a political dispute during a party primary.
Because they were not authorized to speak publicly, police sources requested anonymity.
“We have had the Electoral Officer for the Abuja Municipal Area Council in our custody since yesterday.
“Also, Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, was invited and questioned over the Emeka Ike matter.
“A top security aide to the INEC chairman petitioned the police over allegations of criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, the leaking of classified documents, and conduct likely to breach public peace, all of which are connected to the Emeka Ike case,” one of the sources said.
The incident began on May 29, 2026, when protesters gathered at the INEC office in AMAC, alleging irregularities in an ongoing primary election.
Following the protest, the AMAC electoral officer checked the INEC portal and accessed Emeka Ike’s details, adding that the official directed a subordinate to obtain a screenshot of the applicant’s details from the INEC Voter Enrolment Device.
“The leak occurred on May 29, 2026, when a group of political actors spearheading a protest under a political party banner blocked the exit gate of the INEC AMAC office with vehicles, behaving aggressively and alleging irregularities in an ongoing primary election.
“Following the hostility, the AMAC Electoral Officer discovered through administrative channels that one of the primary actors leading the aggressive protest, identified as Emeka Ike, a popular Nollywood actor, had only recently initiated a voters’ registration transfer from Imo State, an application that had not even been officially approved by the commission.”
The information was shared with Olayinka after both men established contact through Facebook Messenger before continuing their conversation on WhatsApp.
“Angered by the blockade of his office, the Electoral Officer, instead of following official protocols, instructed a subordinate staff member under him to capture a screenshot of the applicant’s confidential data directly from the INEC Voter Enrolment Device.
“The Electoral Officer subsequently spoke with the FCT minister’s spokesman on Facebook Messenger. They moved on to chat on WhatsApp, where the classified voter registration document was sent to Wike’s aide,” the source said.
Olayinka, in his statement, said he had posted videos of the protest on social media and was later contacted by the electoral officer, who complained that INEC was being unfairly criticised by protesters.
The source said, “In his statement, Olayinka admitted that he had posted a video of the political protest at the AMAC office on his social media pages.
“He explained that the AMAC Electoral Officer, whom he did not previously know, contacted him via Facebook Messenger to vent his anger that INEC was being blackmailed by protesters who were not even validly registered voters in the FCT.
“Olayinka admitted that the INEC official promised to send proof of the temporary voter’s card, which was subsequently delivered via WhatsApp.”
The source said the electoral officer subsequently deleted portions of the WhatsApp conversation after the leaked document generated public controversy.
“Forensic analysis recovered the deleted communications,” the source added.
While the electoral officer remained in custody, the source said Olayinka was granted administrative bail after questioning.
When contacted, Olayinka confirmed he was invited and had honoured the invitation.
“I was invited yesterday, and as a law-abiding citizen, I honoured the invitation,” he said, declining further comments on the matter.
The controversy erupted on May 30 when Olayinka posted on X (formerly Twitter) that actor and politician Emeka Ike had only recently moved his voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In the post, Olayinka challenged Ike’s eligibility to run for a House of Representatives seat in Abuja, claiming the actor had only transferred his registration on May 15, 2026.
To back his claim, Olayinka attached two images to the post. This immediately sparked backlash from social media users, who pointed out that the documents appeared to be sourced directly from INEC’s restricted administrative portal.
In response, Ike accused the aide of exposing his personal data and threatened legal action over the privacy breach.
The brewing scandal has since drawn comments from high-profile figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
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