By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA—The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has explained the circumstances surrounding its refusal to issue access codes to Labour Party, LP, for the upload of candidates for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Area council election, insisting there was currently no valid court order compelling it to do so.

The election is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

In a statement issued and signed yesterday by the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, the commission said the explanation followed a protest by some Labour Party supporters at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, January 5, 2026.

The protesters had complained about the “exclusion of their candidates for the Federal Capital Territory FCT Area Council Election” and “demanded the issuance of access code to upload its candidates for the election.”

INEC stated that the controversy was rooted in Labour Party’s prolonged internal leadership crisis, noting that Labour Party had 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 apex court’s decision, INEC said the Abure-led faction purportedly conducted primaries for the August 16, 2025, bye-election nationwide and the FCT Area council election, a development that led to legal confrontations between the party and the electoral body.

The commission recalled that the faction had approached 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 recognized as the national chairman of Labour Party and thus upholding the decision of INEC to exclude 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.”

The commission also revealed that Labour Party filed another suit at the FCT High Court, Jabi Division, marked “Suit No. CV/4792/2025,” alongside 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 reply, and that “one would have expected the party to wait for the hearing of this motion but instead, Labour Party filed another suit in Suit No. CV/4930/2025 before the FCT High Court, Life Camp Division, seeking the same relief.”

INEC said although an interim ex parte order was granted in the Life Camp suit on December 16, 2025, directing it to upload the names and particulars of Labour Party’s candidates, the court “expressly stated that the order would lapse after seven days unless extended.”

The commission explained that it promptly challenged the suit, noting that “the interim Order consequently lapsed on December 23, 2025 and was not extended,” stressing that “accordingly, there is currently  no subsisting court order for INEC to act upon.”

INEC emphasised that since the matter was before the courts, it would not take any step that could undermine judicial proceedings.

It said:  “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 reiterated its commitment to due process, the constitution and the electoral law, declaring that it remained 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 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.”