Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it refused to recognise the candidates of Julius Abure-led Labour Party (LP) nominated for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council polls and by-elections because his tenure has elapsed.
in a statement Wednesday, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, INEC Director, Voter Education and Publicity, recalled that on Monday, January 5, 2026, some supporters of the LP protested at the INEC headquarters, Abuja complaining about the exclusion of their candidates for the FCT Area Council election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026 and demanded for the issuance of access code to upload its candidates for the election.
The electoral body maintained that the LP has been enmeshed in prolonged internal leadership disputes since 2024, which culminated in the judgment of the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025 (Usman v. Labour Party) delivered on April 4, 2025.
Eta-Messi noted that in that decision, the apex court unequivocally held that the tenure of the Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired.
She stressed that despite this clear pronouncement, the Abure-led faction purportedly conducted primaries for the August 16, 2025 by-election nationwide and the FCT Area Council election.
According to her, “It is also pertinent to recall that the Abure-led faction instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1523/2025– Labour Party v. INEC at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the decision of INEC excluding it from participating in the by-election.”
It noted that judgment was delivered on 15th August, 2025, dismissing the suit and enforcing the Supreme Court’s position that Barr. Julius Abure was no longer recognized as the National Chairman of the Labour Party and thus upholding the decision of INEC to exclude the Labour Party from the bye-election.”
INEC further disclosed that the party subsequently filed multiple suits in different courts, all seeking orders compelling the Commission to grant access codes for the upload of candidates for the FCT Area Council election.
These include “Suit No. NSD/LF.84/2024 before the Nasarawa State High Court, Akwanga Division,” and later “Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2110/2025 seeking an Order compelling INEC to issue Access Codes to its candidates,” which the Commission said “is still pending before the Court.”