…as DSS launch investigation
By Taiwo Scholarstica
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a probe into allegations that information was improperly accessed from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database and shared without authorization.
The allegations followed the publication of personal details relating to a candidate who participated in a recent political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, INEC disclosed that it had traced the breach to a user account belonging to personnel involved in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
The commission stated that individuals connected to the incident have been questioned and are cooperating with the investigation.
According to INEC, preliminary findings indicate that there was no hacking or external breach of its systems.
The commission however noted that the information was accessed using valid login credentials assigned to staff for official duties and was subsequently released without authorization.
The commission emphasized that the incident involved only a specific voter record and did not affect the wider voter registration system or the personal data of the more than 90 million registered voters.
INEC alsl reaffirmed its commitment to protecting voter information and maintaining the absolute integrity of its database.
The commission revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has launched a separate investigation into the matter to determine any criminal liability.