By Peace Udugba
The Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Comrade Ayo Ologun, has raised concerns over alleged access to the backend voter database of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that the development, if confirmed, could point to a deeper crisis of electoral integrity and data security in Nigeria.
Ologun expressed concern over reports suggesting that a presidential aide, Lere Olayinka, may have had access to sensitive voter information stored in INEC’s password-protected backend system, questioning how a non-commission staff could access such restricted data.
Speaking on Wednesday during an exclusive media chat on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, Ogun State, Ologun said the issue goes beyond technical breach concerns and reflects a wider governance challenge where accountability is weak or unenforced.
“One of our problems as a nation is that there are often no consequences for actions. And when there is no precedence of ensuring consequences for actions or inactions, what you create is a society where everybody becomes a law unto himself,” he said.
He stressed that the system in question was not a public platform, but a restricted database requiring authorised access.
“This is not general information. It is not something you can Google or access through research. It is a passworded backend system,” he said, adding that only authorised personnel should have access to such infrastructure.
According to him, any breach—if proven to be unauthorised—raises serious concerns about voter data protection and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
Ologun further alleged that internal actors within institutions could be exploiting privileged access, warning that “saboteurs” often operate within sensitive government systems.
“Within every system, including the military as we have seen over the years, and now INEC, there are saboteurs—people within the system looking for power outside the system,” he said.
He also linked the issue to what he described as a culture of political impunity, where public officials act above the law. Referring to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his aide Lere Olayinka, Ologun questioned the culture of unchecked authority.
He cited a past remark attributed to Wike in which the minister allegedly made a controversial statement about journalist Seun Okinbaloye, saying: “If I had a gun, I would have killed him if he was in the studio.”
Ologun said such statements, if made by public officials, should attract serious consequences and investigations, lamenting what he called selective enforcement of the law.
“This is what you get when individuals begin to see themselves as above the law,” he added.
He urged INEC to thoroughly investigate the alleged backend access, insisting that transparency is critical to restoring public trust.
Reacting to INEC’s denial of hacking, Ologun noted that the commission had said access was through legitimate credentials linked to personnel involved in voter registration. However, he argued that accountability demands full disclosure and disciplinary action where necessary.
“They know who logged in. They know the officials with that access… what has become of that individual?” he asked.
Ologun also warned that failure to address the matter decisively could weaken public confidence ahead of future elections, stressing that Nigeria’s data systems are not adequately secure.
“If an individual can access backend information, who says the same person cannot influence the collation of results?” he said.
He criticised what he described as excessive secrecy in public administration, urging government agencies to be more transparent in handling sensitive matters.
Turning to broader political issues, Ologun referenced growing political alignments ahead of future elections, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, opposition leader Atiku Abubakar, and coalition movements involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He also mentioned former President Goodluck Jonathan, cautioning that fragmented political arrangements could reduce his influence if not properly structured.
Ologun further criticised multiple opposition figures—including Seyi Makinde, Omoyele Sowore, and Adewole Adebayo—arguing that a divided opposition could weaken its electoral chances against a well-organised ruling party.
He noted that electoral outcomes are often shaped by strategic coordination rather than isolated political efforts, warning that vote splitting could benefit incumbency.
According to him, even relatively small but consolidated vote margins could determine national outcomes, stressing that Nigeria’s electoral dynamics are shaped by complex regional and elite negotiations rather than simple arithmetic.
Ologun concluded by urging stronger institutional accountability and electoral reforms, warning that failure to address systemic vulnerabilities could further erode confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
