The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a ₦10 billion fundamental rights suit filed by Nollywood actor Emeka Ike against Lere Olayinka, an aide to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the publication of his voter registration details on social media.
Justice Salim Ibrahim delivered the judgment on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, upholding preliminary objections raised by the respondents. The court ruled that the suit was incompetent and improperly constituted, and also dismissed the substantive case for lack of proof.
Ike had instituted the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, after Olayinka allegedly published details of his voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory on his X account in May.
The actor argued that the publication of his personal information without his consent violated his fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data. He relied on Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to support his claims.
Ike sought ₦10 billion in general and aggravated damages against Olayinka and INEC. He also asked the court to direct Olayinka to remove the disputed post from his social media account, retract the publication and issue a written apology.
The actor further argued that INEC had a statutory responsibility to protect voters’ personal information from unauthorised access and disclosure. He also claimed that a statement issued by the commission on June 2 in response to the controversy amounted to an admission of liability.
However, INEC denied violating its obligations, maintaining that the information in question was neither classified nor confidential. The commission argued that the publication of certain voter information fell within its statutory responsibilities under the relevant electoral laws. It also denied that the material published by Olayinka originated from its secured database or that its systems had been breached.
Olayinka, in his response, maintained that the document he shared contained only Ike’s name and passport photograph, which he claimed were already publicly available. He denied obtaining the information unlawfully and argued that he had no duty of confidentiality requiring him to seek Ike’s consent before publishing it.
The FCT minister’s aide also argued that the actor had made his identity public by virtue of his entertainment career and his declared intention to contest an election. He maintained that his publication was intended to draw attention to Ike’s voter registration transfer and relevant electoral provisions.
The court ultimately dismissed the case after upholding the respondents’ preliminary objections and finding that Ike had failed to establish his claims. The ruling means the actor’s demand for ₦10 billion in damages was unsuccessful.
Ike had sought to contest the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), but reportedly lost the party’s primary election.
The judgment brings the suit to an end at the Federal High Court, with the dispute highlighting ongoing questions about personal data, voter registration information and the boundaries between privacy rights and the public disclosure of electoral information.
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