INEC: Why We Excluded Labour Party from the FCT Area Council Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally explained its decision to exclude candidates of the Labour Party (LP) from the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election, citing a protracted internal leadership crisis and a definitive Supreme Court judgment.

The Commission’s clarification comes in response to a protest by Labour Party supporters at its Abuja headquarters on Monday, 5th January, who demanded the issuance of access codes for their candidates ahead of the election scheduled for Saturday, 21st February, 2026.

In a press statement signed by the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, INEC stated that the party’s exclusion is rooted in the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling of 4th April, 2025 (Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025 – Usman v. Labour Party).

“The Apex Court unequivocally held that the tenure of the Barr. Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired,” the statement read.

Despite this, the faction proceeded to conduct primaries for elections.

INEC highlighted that this position was reinforced by a subsequent Federal High Court judgment on 15th August, 2025, which dismissed a suit by the Abure-led faction challenging its exclusion from the nationwide bye-elections, thereby upholding the Supreme Court’s stance.

The electoral body detailed a flurry of legal actions by the Labour Party, filing multiple suits in different courts—including in Nasarawa State, the Federal High Court Abuja, and two divisions of the FCT High Court—all seeking orders to compel INEC to grant the contentious access codes.

Addressing a key development, INEC clarified that an interim order from the FCT High Court in Life Camp, issued on 16th December, 2025, had lapsed on 23rd December without extension.

“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,” the Commission stated.

With several cases still pending, including a motion set for hearing on 15th January, INEC maintained that the matter remains sub judice.

“The Commission will continue to respect the sanctity of the judicial process and await the final determination of the pending cases,” it affirmed, reiterating its commitment to constitutional and electoral laws, and to holding political parties to democratic standard.