The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims that it deliberately excluded Labour Party candidates from the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
In a statement signed by Victoria Eta Messi, Director of Voter Education and Publicity, and dated January 7, 2026, the commission said the protest by some Labour Party supporters at its Abuja headquarters on January 5, 2026, was based on misinformation.
The protesters had demanded that INEC issue access codes to enable the party to upload the names of its candidates for the Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.
INEC said the Labour Party has been embroiled in prolonged internal leadership disputes since 2024.
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The commission cited a Supreme Court judgment delivered on April 4, 2025, in Usman v. Labour Party, which held that the tenure of the Barrister Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired.
Despite the ruling, INEC said the Abure-led faction went ahead to conduct primaries for the August 16, 2025, by-elections and the FCT Area Council polls.
INEC recalled that the faction had earlier sued the commission at the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge its exclusion from the by-election.
“The court dismissed the suit on August 15, 2025, and upheld INEC’s position that Julius Abure was no longer recognised as the national chairman of the party,” it said.
According to INEC, the Labour Party subsequently filed multiple suits in different courts seeking orders to compel the commission to issue access codes for the FCT Area Council elections.
“These included cases at the Nasarawa State High Court and the Federal High Court in Abuja, which is still pending,” the commission said.
The party also filed two separate suits at the FCT High Court divisions in Jabi and Life Camp, seeking the same relief.
INEC said an interim ex parte order granted by the Life Camp court on December 16, 2025, had a lifespan of seven days. The commission added that the order lapsed on December 23, 2025, and was not extended.
As a result, INEC said, “There is currently no valid court order directing it to upload Labour Party candidates.”
The commission stated that the matter remains before the courts and is therefore sub judice. INEC said it would continue to respect the judicial process and await final decisions in the pending cases.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and its regulations and guidelines.
