Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has expressed disappointment after the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed his ₦10 billion fundamental human rights suit against Lere Olayinka, an aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The actor reacted to the judgment by questioning the protection available to individuals who believe their fundamental rights have been violated, particularly in cases involving online embarrassment and bullying.
“It’s even crazy that your right will be violated and the judge will tell you it’s not a fundamental human right. Then what is a fundamental human right? The embarrassment, the bullying online,” Ike said in his reaction.
The court, presided over by Justice Salim Ibrahim, dismissed the case on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after upholding preliminary objections raised by the respondents.
The judge ruled that the suit was incompetent and improperly constituted, while also dismissing the substantive case for lack of proof.
Ike had instituted the legal action after Olayinka allegedly published details of his voter registration on social media platform X in May. The publication reportedly contained information relating to the actor’s transfer of voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The actor argued that the publication violated his right to privacy and the protection of his personal data. He subsequently asked the court to award him ₦10 billion in damages against Olayinka and INEC.
He also sought an order compelling the FCT minister’s aide to remove the disputed publication and issue a written apology.
However, both respondents challenged the suit. INEC maintained that the information in question was not classified or confidential and argued that the commission had not breached its responsibility to protect voters’ information.
Olayinka, on his part, argued that the material he shared contained Ike’s name and passport photograph, which he claimed were already publicly available.
The case also came amid Ike’s political ambition to represent the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of Abuja in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections. The actor had sought the ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress but lost in the party’s primary election.
Following the court’s decision, Ike’s reaction has drawn attention to the wider debate surrounding privacy, personal data protection and the consequences of publishing individuals’ information online.
The dismissal represents a legal setback for the actor, who had sought substantial financial compensation over the alleged violation of his rights.
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