The Independent National Electoral Commission faces a credibility crisis that could haunt the 2027 general elections unless it moves swiftly to prosecute those responsible for the alleged compromise of its voter registration database, a lawyer has warned.
Liborous Oshoma, a legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, told ARISE News on Sunday, June 7, that INEC’s handling of the incident so far has been inadequate, and that the electoral body’s ability to conduct a free and fair election in 2027 is now a legitimate question in the minds of ordinary Nigerians.
“What is the guarantee that election would be transparent? What it means is that if this is not properly handled, what it means is that anybody who is loyal to the ruling party can just go to INEC tomorrow and assess information.
“Was it guaranteed that election would be transparent? That’s a big question now. INEC needs to work twice as hard as they are doing already,” he said.
Oshoma said the commission’s own characterisation of the incident, that it was not a hack, had inadvertently made the situation more alarming, not less.
“To answer your question directly, INEC is not responding in the right manner. And it’s even though they said this is not a hack, this is worse than a hack.
“Because now what this means is that you don’t even need to hack the server. You don’t need to hack their backend. Just go through an insider. Just go through an insider and all the information in the backend would be handed over to you, which is worse than hacking, you know, the backend,” he said.
By confirming that the breach occurred through authorised internal credentials, Oshoma argued, INEC had effectively revealed that its most serious vulnerability lies not in its technology but in the people operating it, a far harder problem to solve.
He insisted that INEC must demonstrate institutional resolve by ensuring that no one, regardless of political standing, escapes accountability.
“So with those kind of attitude, I would want INEC to prove to Nigerians that, look, nobody is above the law, no matter how high up there you are.
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“We saw in some cases where persons, to maintain their credibility and reputation, some persons might be able to sacrifice. But in this case, we’re not talking about sacrificing people. We’re saying let the law take its course,” Oshoma said.
He said a public prosecution was the only message strong enough to restore confidence and deter future breaches.
“So INEC need to do more to also win back the confidence of voters. To say truly, this information is not as bad, even though it is bad, as you perceive it. But we’ll ensure that whoever has done this is brought to book. We’ll prosecute them publicly. It’s like a coup,” he said.
Oshoma warned that INEC also faces potential legal exposure, as voters whose data may have been accessed without consent have grounds to seek redress in court.
“Anybody can sue INEC to say, you have compromised my information. Because now, you have wilfully given out national secrets to individuals,” he said.
He rejected efforts to frame the controversy as a personal dispute involving actor Emeka Ike, whose voter transfer details were allegedly shared publicly by a media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
“Emeka Ike, I don’t know if he’s made an official complaint or written a petition to INEC, but whether Emeka Ike says, ‘I am no longer interested or not’, this is a matter of national importance.
“So it is beyond Emeka Ike, even if he says, ‘an apology will suffice’. But this is beyond him. This is a public matter. This is a public interest matter,” he said.
For Oshoma, the episode is a damning illustration of why strong institutions, rather than powerful individuals, must anchor Nigeria’s democracy.
“With what we have seen in Nigeria, how we are raising superhumans instead of super institutions,” he said.