Federal High Court in Abuja adjourns hearing as Emeka Ike challenges alleged breach of personal data involving Lere Olayinka and INEC
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 2, 2026, for the hearing of a N10 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike against Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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The case, which centres on allegations of breach of personal data and violation of privacy rights, was adjourned by Justice Salim Ibrahim following procedural requests from the applicant’s counsel.
When the matter came up on Thursday, June 25, 2026, only Emeka Ike’s legal representative, Leonard Adeh, appeared in court.
The lawyer informed the court that the case was slated for mention and sought clarity on service of court processes on the respondents.
Adeh also raised concerns about when the respondents were served, noting that proper service was crucial to avoid jurisdictional challenges.
The court subsequently directed that proof of service be made available from its records, which the lawyer confirmed satisfaction with after inspection.
Following the development, the applicant’s counsel requested an adjournment to allow the respondents adequate time to respond to the originating processes.
The court granted the request and fixed July 2 for further mention, while also ordering that hearing notices be served on all parties involved.
Emeka Ike’s legal action stems from an alleged incident in which Lere Olayinka reportedly published the actor’s voter registration details on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The publication allegedly included screenshots believed to have been accessed from INEC’s internal systems.
The controversy intensified public debate over data protection and the security of Nigeria’s electoral database, with concerns raised about possible unauthorised access to restricted voter information.
In response to the allegations, INEC denied claims of a systemic breach or external hacking of its Continuous Voter Registration platform.
The commission maintained that the incident resulted from the misuse of valid internal access credentials by authorised personnel rather than a cyberattack.
The electoral body further stated that it was cooperating with security agencies investigating the matter, including operatives of the Force Intelligence Department and the Intelligence Response Team, who reportedly invited individuals for questioning in connection with the alleged data exposure.
In his suit, Emeka Ike is asking the court to declare that the alleged publication of his voter data without consent constitutes a violation of his constitutional right to privacy as guaranteed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, and international human rights provisions.
He is also seeking a declaration that INEC owes voters a statutory duty of care to safeguard their personal data against unauthorised access and misuse.
The actor is demanding N10 billion in aggravated and general damages jointly from Olayinka and INEC, alongside an order compelling the defendants to retract the alleged publication and issue a public apology on Olayinka’s verified social media account.
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The matter is expected to return to court on July 2, 2026, as legal proceedings continue.
