Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has called on the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to investigate what it described as an alleged unauthorised and fraudulent use of personal data of constituents in the failed recall attempt of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly.
The organisation expressed concern that voters’ personal information may have been illegally harvested and deployed without their consent to generate signatures for the recall petition.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Auwal Rafsanjani, chairman, TMG, observed that such an act amounts to a gross violation of the Data Protection Act, which he said, also undermines public trust in the country’s democratic process.
He called for a forensic verification of the Voter Identification Numbers (VINs) submitted in the recall process, using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
TMG’s position came a few days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dismissed the petition seeking to recall Natasha for failing to meet constitutional requirements.
The commission had revealed that following a thorough review of the signatures and thumbprints submitted by petitioners, only 208,132 signatories were verified, falling short of the required 237,278.
Rafsanjani, however, expressed concern on how more than 50 per cent of total registered voters in Kogi Central quickly turned up to sign the petition for the recall of Natasha in a country, he said, has historically experienced a worrisome level of voter apathy.
According to him, the incident calls for deeper insight that can only be brought about through thorough investigation.
“While it is noted that INEC has terminated the process at the stage of counting signatories to the petition as the number of signatories did not meet the constitutional requirements for further verification, the seeming fraud of harvesting voters’ details from anywhere to file the petition cannot be overlooked,” he said.
Rafsanjani added: “We are also deeply worried that against the provision of the Data Protection Act, personal data of citizens of Kogi Central Senatorial District have been harvested and used without their consent. This fraud must be investigated by the National Data Protection Commission to assure Nigerians that their personal data will indeed be protected as envisaged by the law.
“Further investigations to verify and authenticate the Voter Identification Number (VIN) through the BVAS must be carried out. Where investigations reveal a fraudulent process, the petitioners must be brought to justice to serve as deterrent to those who would be willing to be induced and used by politicians for this kind of charade in the future.”
But the NDPC, has, reiterated commitment to enhancing data privacy among public and private bodies in the country.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and CEO, said the commission aims to enforce stricter data protection measures to safeguard sensitive public and private information, as well as promote regulatory compliance in line with relevant laws.
