The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained its decision to withhold access codes from the Labour Party for the upload of candidates ahead of the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory Area Council election.
INEC, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Ewa-Messi, attributed the decision to the party’s lingering leadership crisis and ongoing court cases.
Earlier this week, scores of Labour Party supporters staged a protest at INEC’s national headquarters in Abuja, accusing the electoral body of deliberately excluding the party from the upcoming Area Council poll.
The demonstrators demanded that INEC release the access credentials required to upload candidate names to the Commission’s portal.
Responding to the protest, INEC said the matter remains sub judice, citing multiple ongoing litigations regarding the party’s leadership and internal structure.
“The Commission is aware of several pending litigations and rulings surrounding the Labour Party’s leadership and the conduct of primaries. Until these legal issues are resolved, INEC is constrained to maintain its current position,” the statement read.
INEC recalled that the Labour Party’s internal dispute culminated in a Supreme Court judgment on April 4, 2025, which ruled that the tenure of the National Executive Committee led by Julius Abure had expired.
“Despite this clear pronouncement, the Abure-led faction proceeded to conduct primaries for the August 16, 2025, bye-election and the FCT Area Council Election,” the Commission stated.
INEC acknowledged that an interim ex parte order was granted by a High Court in Abuja on December 16, 2025, compelling it to upload the Labour Party’s candidates. However, the Commission noted that the order lapsed after seven days and was not renewed.
“The interim Order consequently lapsed on 23rd December, 2025 and was not extended. Accordingly, there is presently no subsisting Court Order for INEC to act upon,” Ewa-Messi said.
INEC reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law and said it would take no further action until all legal disputes concerning the Labour Party’s leadership and candidate selection are resolved.
“The Commission will continue to respect the judicial process and await final decisions before taking any action on the matter,” the statement concluded.