The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified its decision to withhold access codes from the Labour Party for uploading candidate names for the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
In a statement on Wednesday, Mrs Victoria Ewa-Messi, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, said the decision stemmed from the party’s prolonged leadership crisis, which has generated multiple court cases.
The clarification came after Labour Party supporters staged a protest at INEC headquarters in Abuja, accusing the commission of deliberately excluding the party and demanding the release of access codes to upload candidates’ details. INEC described the protest as unnecessary, noting that the matter is already sub judice.
According to the commission, the internal Labour Party crisis was settled by a Supreme Court ruling on April 4, 2025, which declared the tenure of the National Executive Committee led by Julius Abure had expired.
Despite the ruling, the Abure-led faction went ahead with primaries for the August 16, 2025 by-elections, including those for the FCT Area Council elections.
INEC further stated that several lawsuits by the party seeking access codes had either been dismissed or are still pending.
While a High Court in Abuja granted an interim ex parte order on December 16, 2025, directing INEC to upload Labour Party candidates, the commission noted the order was valid for only seven days and lapsed on December 23, 2025, without renewal.
“The interim order lapsed on December 23, 2025, and was not extended. As such, there is currently no subsisting court order for INEC to act upon,” the commission said.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to due process, stating it would continue to respect the judiciary and await the final determination of all pending cases before taking further action.