2027: Atiku Demands Full Probe Into INEC CVR Data Breach

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that the unauthorised disclosure of voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database has placed the credibility of the 2027 general election under serious threat.

Atiku said the incident had exposed the vulnerability of Nigeria’s electoral institutions to possible political manipulation before campaigns for the next general election have even properly commenced.

Naija News reports that in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said INEC’s explanation of the incident had raised more troubling questions than it answered.

According to him, although the commission attempted to reassure Nigerians that no external hacking took place, it also admitted that sensitive voter information was accessed through valid official credentials and released without authorisation.

‘INEC Admission Should Concern Nigerians’

Atiku said INEC’s acknowledgement of unauthorised access through official credentials should worry every Nigerian who cares about the integrity of the electoral process.

He said, “INEC’s statement has moved this issue beyond conjecture. The Commission has now confirmed that voter information was accessed through credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise and that such information was released without authority. That admission alone should concern every Nigerian.”

The former vice president argued that the absence of an external hack did not reduce the seriousness of the matter.

He said it instead deepened concern over internal controls, institutional safeguards and the possibility of deliberate political interference.

Atiku Links Disclosure To Wike Aide

Atiku said the controversy became more disturbing because the information did not come from a whistleblower, an investigative journalist or an anti-corruption agency.

He noted that the voter information was publicly released by Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

He said, “What makes this entire episode impossible to ignore is that the information in question did not emerge from a whistleblower, an investigative journalist, or an anti-corruption agency. It was publicly released by Lere Olayinka, spokesman to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

“Only days before this controversy erupted, Minister Wike publicly declared with remarkable certainty that Atiku Abubakar would not secure up to ten per cent of the votes in Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election. It was an astonishing claim. Not because politicians are forbidden from making predictions, but because of the confidence, precision, and finality with which it was delivered.”

Atiku questioned whether the minister’s confidence was mere political theatre or a sign of something more troubling.

According to him, Nigerians deserve to know whether some political actors believe they have privileged access to institutions that should remain neutral under the constitution.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) 2027 presidential candidate said the incident had become a direct test of whether Nigeria’s electoral institutions were truly protected from partisan influence.

He demanded a full account of the chain of custody of the accessed voter information.

Atiku said Nigerians must be told who retrieved the information, who requested it, who received it and how it eventually left INEC’s custody.

He warned that public trust in the 2027 election would not depend only on what happens on election day, but also on how institutions handle issues of transparency, accountability and independence before the polls.

He said, “The credibility of the 2027 election will not be determined solely on election day. It is being shaped right now by the willingness of institutions to demonstrate transparency, accountability, and independence. Nigeria cannot afford a situation where confidence in electoral institutions is weakened before campaigns have even properly commenced.”

Atiku said he welcomed INEC’s disclosure that it had identified the specific user account involved in the incident and that relevant personnel had been questioned.

He, however, said identifying a user account was only the beginning and not enough to resolve the concerns raised by the breach.

The former vice president also welcomed the independent investigation by the Department of State Services.

He said Nigerians would hold the DSS to a high standard and expect a thorough, transparent and credible investigation into how voter information was accessed and released without authorisation.

Atiku maintained that anything short of full accountability could further weaken public confidence in the electoral system ahead of the 2027 general election.