The Independent National Electoral Commission has explained the circumstances behind its refusal to issue access codes to the Labour Party for the upload of candidates for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Election, maintaining that there is currently no valid court order compelling it to do so.
The election is scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, the Commission said the clarification followed a protest by some Labour Party supporters at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, January 5, 2026, where they complained about the “exclusion of their candidates for the Federal Capital Territory FCT Area Council Election” and “demanded for the issuance of access code to upload its candidates for the election.”
INEC explained that the dispute stemmed from the Labour Party’s prolonged internal leadership crisis, stressing that “the Labour Party 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 4th April 2025.” According to the Commission, the Supreme Court “unequivocally held that the tenure of the Barr. Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired.”
Despite the decision of the apex court, INEC stated that “the Abure-led faction purportedly conducted primaries for the August 16, 2025, bye-election nationwide and the FCT Area Council Election,” which resulted in legal disputes between the party and the electoral body.
The Commission recalled that the faction took the matter before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1523/2025 – Labour Party v. INEC, challenging its exclusion from the bye-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 recognised 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 stated that the party later filed several suits in different courts, all seeking orders compelling the Commission to provide 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.”
The Commission added that the Labour Party also instituted another case at the FCT High Court, Jabi Division, marked “Suit No. CV/4792/2025,” together with a motion seeking an order compelling INEC to issue access codes.
According to INEC, the matter was adjourned to January 15, 2026, after it filed its response, adding that “one would have expected the Party to wait for the hearing of this motion,” but instead, “the Labour Party filed another suit in Suit No. CV/4930/2025 before the FCT High Court, Life Camp Division, seeking the same relief.”
INEC explained that although an interim ex parte order was granted in the Life Camp case on December 16, 2025, directing it to upload the names and particulars of Labour Party candidates, the court “expressly stated that the Order would lapse after seven days unless extended.”
The Commission stated that it promptly challenged the suit, noting that “the interim Order consequently lapsed on 23rd December, 2025 and was not extended,” stressing that “accordingly, there is presently no subsisting Court Order for INEC to act upon.”
The Commission emphasised that since the matter is before the courts, it will not take any action that could interfere with judicial proceedings.
It said that “given that the matter is sub judice, INEC will continue to respect the sanctity of the judicial process and await the final determination of the pending cases.”
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to due process, the Constitution and the electoral law, stating that it remains guided by “the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as its Regulations and Guidelines,” while also affirming that it “will continue to hold political parties accountable to democratic standards and the Rule of Law in the conduct of their internal affairs.”
