FCT council polls: Why we excluded LP candidates – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has not issued access codes to the Labour Party (LP) for the uploading of candidates for the February 21, 2026, FCT area council elections, maintaining that there is no valid court order compelling it to do so. In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s Director of Voter […]

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has not issued access codes to the Labour Party (LP) for the uploading of candidates for the February 21, 2026, FCT area council elections, maintaining that there is no valid court order compelling it to do so.

In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, said the commission attributed the LP’s challenge to a “prolonged internal leadership dispute since 2024”, which it noted was addressed by the Supreme Court in April, 2025.

The statement followed a protest by LP supporters at INEC’s headquarters on Monday, January 5, 2026, over the exclusion of the party’s candidates and the alleged refusal to grant access codes for candidates’ registration.

INEC said the Supreme Court, in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025 (Usman v. Labour Party), held that the tenure of the Barr. Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired, adding that despite the judgment, the Abure-led faction purportedly conducted primaries for the August 16, 2025, nationwide by-elections and the upcoming FCT area council elections.

The commission recalled that the Abure-led faction had previously challenged its exclusion from the August, 2025, by-elections at the Federal High Court, Abuja, but that the suit was dismissed. 

It further said that the judgment, delivered on August 15, 2025, enforced the Supreme Court’s position that Barr. Julius Abure was no longer recognised as the national chairman of the LP, thus upholding INEC’s decision to exclude his faction’s candidates.

INEC disclosed that the party subsequently filed several suits in different jurisdictions – including the Nasarawa State High Court, the Federal High Court in Abuja and two divisions of the FCT High Court – seeking orders to compel the issuance of access codes.

Regarding the most recent case at the FCT High Court (Life Camp Division), INEC confirmed that an interim order was granted on December 16, 2025, directing the upload of LP candidates. 

However, the commission noted that, “The court expressly stated that the order would lapse after seven days unless extended.”

INEC explained that after it filed a defence challenging the court’s jurisdiction, the interim order lapsed on December 23, 2025, without being extended. 

INEC added: “There is presently no subsisting court order for INEC to act upon.”

The commission concluded that because the matter remained sub judice (under judicial consideration), it would await the final determination of pending cases to avoid undermining the judicial process.

When contacted, an LP chairmanship candidate, Mr. Okeke Kingsley, expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved in the party’s favour.

He insisted that the candidates’ names would eventually be uploaded by the commission.