Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has reacted angrily after a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed his ₦10 billion lawsuit against Lere Olayinka, a senior aide to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged unauthorised publication of his voter registration details.
The actor questioned the protection afforded to citizens’ privacy rights following the judgment, suggesting that the decision could encourage people to expose other individuals’ personal information without facing legal consequences.
Reacting to the ruling in a statement shared on social media, Ike reportedly said: “Since court is saying breach of privacy is not a violation of human rights. That means I now have the right to pull the Judge’s information and make it public. Let’s see if he will challenge me on privacy matters.”
The controversy began in May 2026 when Olayinka allegedly published information relating to Ike’s voter registration on his X account. The post reportedly showed that the actor had transferred his voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
At the time, Ike was pursuing a political ambition to represent the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, he eventually lost the party’s primary election.
Following the publication, the actor approached the Federal High Court, accusing Olayinka and INEC of violating his fundamental right to privacy and failing to protect his personal information.
In suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, Ike 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.
He asked the court to declare the publication unlawful, compel Olayinka to remove the disputed post and issue a written apology. He also demanded ₦10 billion in aggravated and general damages.
However, Olayinka and INEC opposed the action, challenging the legal competence of the suit and disputing the allegations.
Olayinka maintained that the information published was not confidential and argued that the actor had made himself a public figure through his political activities. He also denied unlawfully obtaining the information.
INEC, on its part, denied that its secured database had been hacked. The commission had earlier explained that its investigation traced the sharing of the screenshots to an electoral officer in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Justice Salim Ibrahim upheld the preliminary objections filed by the respondents, ruling that the suit was incompetent and improperly constituted.
The judge also dismissed the substantive case for lack of sufficient evidence, finding that Ike had not established the alleged violation of his fundamental rights or demonstrated the legal basis for the damages he sought.
The court’s decision effectively denied the actor’s request for ₦10 billion in compensation, alongside his other demands against the respondents.
However, the ruling should not be interpreted as a blanket declaration that voter information is exempt from privacy and data protection laws. Rather, the court’s decision concerned the legal procedure adopted in bringing the case and the evidence presented to establish the alleged infringement.
The judgment marks a significant setback for Ike, whose lawsuit sought to challenge the circulation of his personal electoral information and establish accountability over its publication.
His reaction has also brought renewed attention to the debate surrounding the protection of personal data, the responsibilities of electoral officials and the boundaries of privacy in Nigeria’s increasingly digital political environment.
