Emeka Ike slams Lere Olayinka, INEC with N10bn lawsuit over voter data leak

Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike has dragged a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka and INEC to court, demanding N10 billion in damages over the alleged publication of his personal voter information.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday fixed July 2 for hearing in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the actor against Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to Wike.

During the court proceedings, Ike’s lawyer, Leonard Adeh, informed the court that the respondents had only recently been served with the suit and requested an adjournment to enable them file their responses.

The case stems from an incident in May when Olayinka shared screenshots containing Ike’s voter registration details on social media.

According to court documents, the publication revealed the actor’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to Abuja and was allegedly used to challenge his eligibility to contest the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 elections.

Emeka Ike argued that the publication of his personal information without his consent violated his constitutional right to privacy and protection of personal data.

The actor is also asking the court to hold INEC responsible for allegedly failing to safeguard confidential voter information.

The lawsuit has attracted public attention, with many Nigerians raising concerns about data privacy and the security of information submitted to government institutions.

Aside from the N10 billion damages, Ike is seeking a public apology and an order directing the removal of the disputed publication from social media platforms.

The matter has been adjourned until July 2 for hearing.