The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed its decision to exclude candidates of the Labour Party (LP) from participating in the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, which are scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026. This exclusion is pending the final determination of several legal cases involving the party that are currently before various courts of law.

On Monday, January 5, 2026, members of the Labour Party, believed to be loyal to the Julius Abure-led faction, staged a protest at the INEC headquarters in Abuja. Their demonstration was a direct response to the commission's refusal to include their candidates. The protesters asserted that INEC was defying a court order that had directed the commission to issue access codes, which would enable the party to upload the particulars of its candidates for the election.

During the protest, Prof. Adullahi Zuru, an INEC National Commissioner, addressed the aggrieved party members. He assured them that he would personally deliver the court order they presented to the commission's chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and pledged that the commission would take appropriate action based on it.

However, in an official statement signed by its Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, INEC provided a detailed explanation for its stance. The commission highlighted that the Labour Party has been plagued by prolonged internal leadership disputes since 2024. These disputes culminated in a significant judgment by the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025 (Usman v. Labour Party), delivered on April 4, 2025. In this landmark decision, the apex Court unequivocally ruled that the tenure of the Barr. Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired.

Despite this clear pronouncement from the Supreme Court, the Abure-led faction purportedly proceeded to conduct primaries for both the August 16, 2025, bye-election nationwide and the FCT Area Council Election. INEC further recalled that the Abure-led faction had previously instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1523/2025 – Labour Party v. INEC at the Federal High Court, Abuja, to challenge its exclusion from the bye-election. This suit was dismissed on August 15, 2025, with the court enforcing the Supreme Court’s position that Barr. Julius Abure was no longer recognized as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, thereby upholding INEC’s decision to exclude the party from the bye-election.

Following these developments, the Labour Party filed multiple subsequent suits against INEC in various courts, all with the objective of compelling the commission to grant an access code for the upload of its candidates for the FCT Area Council Election. These legal challenges included Suit No. NSD/LF.84/2024 before the Nasarawa State High Court, Akwanga Division, and subsequently Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2110/2025 before the Federal High Court Abuja, which is still pending.

The party further approached the FCT High Court, Jabi Division, with Suit No. CV/4792/2025, and later filed another fresh Suit No. CV/4930/2025 before the FCT High Court, Life Camp Division, seeking the same relief. In the latter suit, by an ex parte order granted on December 16, 2025, the FCT High Court at Life Camp directed INEC to upload the names and particulars of the Labour Party candidates for the FCT Area Council Election.

However, INEC clarified that this interim order explicitly stated it would lapse after seven days unless extended. Upon being served, INEC promptly filed its defence, challenging the competence of the suit and the court's jurisdiction. Consequently, the interim order lapsed on December 23, 2025, and was not extended. Therefore, INEC asserts that there is currently no subsisting court order that mandates its action regarding the Labour Party candidates.

INEC reiterated its unwavering commitment to respecting the sanctity of the judicial process and stated that it would await the final determination of all pending cases. The commission affirmed its dedication to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, and its Regulations and Guidelines, emphasizing its role in holding political parties accountable to democratic standards and the Rule of Law in the conduct of their internal affairs.