No Hack Detected, Says INEC as Investigation Begins into CVR Data Access Incident Rewritten Story

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a formal investigation into the alleged misuse of authorised access credentials issued to personnel involved in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

According to the Commission, preliminary findings have ruled out any external breach of its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed that INEC’s internal audit trail had identified the user account through which a particular voter record was accessed and later disclosed without authorisation.
Haruna was reacting to allegations circulating on social media and in sections of the media concerning the alleged unauthorised access to the CVR database and the publication of information relating to a candidate involved in recent party primaries in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He stated that the Commission treated the allegations with utmost seriousness and had acted promptly to ascertain the facts surrounding the incident.
The National Commissioner explained that authorised INEC Registration Officers participating in the CVR exercise were granted controlled access to designated components of the system strictly for registering new voters, processing transfer requests and updating voter records. He stressed that such access was limited to official duties and withdrawn once the exercise concluded.
Haruna further revealed that relevant personnel had already been questioned, while all units connected to the matter were cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.
According to him, the Commission is examining all technical, administrative and operational aspects of the incident to determine individual responsibility, establish the circumstances under which the credentials were used and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols before taking appropriate action.
He emphasized that the incident did not amount to a compromise of INEC’s wider voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of more than 90 million registered voters.
“The Commission takes the security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to transparency, institutional integrity and the protection of voters’ personal information,” he said.
Haruna also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) had independently launched its own investigation into the matter, adding that INEC would continue to cooperate fully with all relevant security agencies.
He warned that anyone found culpable would be referred for appropriate legal action.
The National Commissioner urged the public and the media to avoid unfounded speculation while investigations are ongoing, assuring that the Commission would provide updates on its findings and any actions taken at the appropriate time.