The Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out a ₦10 billion lawsuit filed by Nollywood actor Emeka Ike over the publication of his voter registration details on social media.

Justice Salim Ibrahim ruled against the actor on Wednesday, October 28, after upholding preliminary objections raised by the defendants, Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The judge held that the suit was incompetent and improperly constituted. He also dismissed Ike’s substantive claims, ruling that the actor had failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish his case.

Ike instituted the legal action after Olayinka allegedly shared information relating to his voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory on X in May.

The actor argued that publishing the details without his consent violated his fundamental right to privacy and the legal protections governing personal data. He asked the court to award him ₦10 billion in damages and compel Olayinka to delete the post and issue a written apology.

He also accused INEC of failing to protect his personal information, arguing that the commission had a legal responsibility to safeguard voters’ data.

However, both defendants opposed the suit. INEC maintained that the information in question was neither classified nor confidential, while Olayinka argued that the material he shared contained Ike’s name and passport photograph, which he claimed were already publicly available.

Olayinka also denied unlawfully obtaining the information and challenged the basis of the actor’s demand for damages.

The dispute arose as Ike pursued his ambition to represent the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). He subsequently lost the party’s primary election.

The court’s decision brings the ₦10 billion privacy case to an end at the trial court, although it remains unclear whether Ike will challenge the ruling on appeal.

Source: Vanguard News and Daily Post Nigeria.