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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has attributed the exclusion of Labour Party (LP) candidates in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election to the pending litigations over the expiration of the tenure of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Some LP supporters had on Monday, protested at the INEC headquarters, Abuja, complaining about the exclusion from the FCT Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, February 21 this year, and demanded for the issuance of access code to upload its candidates for the election.
In its response, the commission, in a statement by Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi,
Director, Voter Education and Publicity, noted that its decision was based on the LP’s enmeshment in prolonged internal disputes since 2024, which culminated in the judgment of the Supreme Court.
While chronicling the long litigations over the status of the Abure-led national leadership, the statement read: “In response to the protest by the party supporters, the commission wishes to state that the LP has been enmeshed in prolonged internal leadership disputes since 2024, which culminated in the judgment of the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025 (Usman v. Labour Party) delivered on 4th April 2025.
In that decision, the Apex Court unequivocally held that the tenure of the Barr. Julius Abure-led NWC had expired.
“Despite this clear pronouncement, the Abure-led faction purportedly conducted primaries for the August 16, 2025, bye-election nationwide and the FCT Area Council Election. It is also pertinent to recall that the Abure-led faction instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1523/2025– Labour Party v. INEC at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the decision of INEC excluding it from participating in the bye-election.
“Judgment was delivered on 15th August, 2025, dismissing the suit and enforcing the Supreme Court’s position that Barr. Julius Abure was no longer recognised as the National Chairman of the LP and thus upholding the decision of INEC to exclude the LP from the bye-election.
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“Thereafter, the LP filed multiple suits against INEC in different courts, all seeking Orders compelling INEC to grant an access code for the upload of its candidates for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, 21st February, 2026,” the commission explained.
Reacting further, the commission stated that; “The LP again approached the FCT High Court, Jabi Division in another fresh Suit No. CV/4792/2025 and filed a Motion seeking an Order compelling INEC to issue Access Codes to its candidates for the FCT Area Council election.
The matter was adjourned, after INEC had filed its Reply, to 15th January 2026 for the hearing of the motion. One would have expected the party to wait for the hearing of this motion, but the LP filed another suit in Suit No. CV/4930/2025 before the FCT High Court, Life Camp Division, seeking the same relief to compel INEC to grant Access Codes to upload its candidates for the FCT Area Council election.
“By an Order Exparte in this latest Suit No. CV/4930/2025, the FCT High Court sitting in Life Camp, Abuja granted an interim Order on 16th December, 2025, directing the commission to upload the names and particulars of the LP candidates for the FCT Area Council Election.
“The Court expressly stated that the Order would lapse after seven days unless extended. Upon being served with the originating processes, INEC promptly filed its defence, challenging the competence of the suit and the jurisdiction of the Court. The interim Order consequently lapsed on 23rd December, 2025 and was not extended. Accordingly, there is presently no subsisting Court Order for INEC to act upon,” it narrated.
In its final submission, the electoral umpire noted: “Given that the matter is sub judice, INEC will continue to respect the sanctity of the judicial process and await the final determination of the pending cases. The commission reiterates its unwavering commitment to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as its Regulations and Guidelines, and will continue to hold political parties accountable to democratic standards and the Rule of Law in the conduct of their internal affairs,” INEC noted in the statement.
