Supporters of the Labour Party (LP) on Monday, 5 January 2026, staged a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja, demanding access codes to upload their candidates for the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026. The demonstrators expressed frustration over what they described as the “exclusion” of LP candidates by the Commission.
In response, INEC clarified that the party has been embroiled in prolonged internal leadership disputes since 2024, culminating in a Supreme Court ruling in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025 (Usman v. Labour Party) on 4 April 2025, which affirmed that the tenure of the Barr. Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired. Despite the Supreme Court’s pronouncement, the Abure-led faction reportedly conducted primaries for the 16 August 2025 bye-election and the forthcoming FCT Area Council election.
INEC noted that the Abure-led faction had previously challenged its exclusion in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1523/2025 before the Federal High Court, Abuja, which was dismissed on 15 August 2025 in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling. Subsequent legal actions by the party, including multiple suits in different courts, remain pending, with hearings yet to be concluded.
The Commission also clarified that an interim ex parte order obtained by the Labour Party on 16 December 2025 directing INEC to upload its candidates lapsed after seven days and was not extended. Therefore, there is currently no subsisting court order requiring INEC to act.
INEC emphasized that it will continue to respect the judicial process and await the final determination of the pending cases. The Commission reiterated its commitment to upholding the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and its regulations, while holding political parties accountable to democratic standards and the rule of law.
