Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike dragged the media aide to the Minister of the Capital Territory, Nyesom WikeLere Olayinka and INEC in court, seeking N10 billion in damages over the alleged publication of his personal voter information.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Thursday July 2 for hearing in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the actor against Lera Olayink, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to Wike.
During the court proceedings, Ike’s lawyer, Leonard Adeh, informed the court that the suit was only recently served on the plaintiffs and asked for an adjournment to enable them file their responses.
The case stems from an incident in May when Olayinka shared screenshots containing Ike’s voter registration details on social networks.
According to court documents, the publication revealed the transfer of the actor’s voter registration from Imo State to Abuja and was allegedly used to challenge his eligibility to contest for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat in the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
Emeka Ike claimed that the publication of his personal information without his consent violated the constitutional right to privacy and protection of personal information.
The actor is also asking the court to hold INEC accountable for allegedly failing to safeguard the confidential information of voters.
The lawsuit has attracted public attention, with many Nigerians expressing concerns about data privacy and the security of information provided to government institutions.
Apart from N10 billion in damages, Ike is seeking a public apology and an order to remove the disputed post from the social media platform.
The case was adjourned until July 2 for a hearing.
