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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Candidates of the Labour Party (LP) for the February 21, 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, alongside party members, on Monday protested at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja over the commission’s failure to upload the party’s candidates for the polls.
The February 21, 2026 FCT Area Council elections are expected to hold across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
The protesters said INEC had ignored a subsisting court order directing it to publish the names and particulars of the Labour Party candidates within a specified timeframe.
An FCT High Court on December 29, 2025 ordered INEC to upload the candidates’ details within 48 hours.
However, more than a week after the ruling, the commission is yet to comply with the order.
The Party’s Spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, confirmed that after the protest at INEC, the party members visited the National Secretariat, Abuja, where they briefed the National Chairman, Julius Abure, on the development.
According to Obiora, Abure warned that the continued delay by INEC could undermine the party’s participation in the forthcoming election.
“INEC cannot continue to play politics with electoral matters.
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“There is a valid court order directing the commission to upload the names of our candidates, and that order must be obeyed,” Abure was quoted.
He added, “Any further delay is a deliberate attempt to deny the Labour Party the opportunity of proper participation in the February 21 election, and we will not accept that.”
To Obiora, INEC was acting in defiance of the judiciary, saying the court was very clear and unambiguous in its ruling of December 29, 2025, where INEC was given 48 hours to upload the names and particulars of Labour Party candidates.
“This action, or inaction, by INEC amounts to contempt of court and an attempt to sabotage our party ahead of the FCT council elections,” he added.
Ifoh stressed that the party would pursue all lawful means to ensure compliance.
“We are demanding that INEC immediately obey the court order. The Labour Party will not be intimidated, and we will not allow our candidates to be shut out through administrative delay,” he said.
