INEC: Why We Didn’t Recognise Candidates of Abure-led LP in FCT Polls

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it refused to recognise the candidates of the Julius Abure-led Labour Party nominated for Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council polls and by-elections because his tenure had elapsed.

INEC Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, in a statement, recalled that on Monday, January 5, 2026 some supporters of 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 LP had been enmeshed in prolonged internal leadership disputes since 2024, which culminated in the judgement of the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025 (Usman v. Labour Party) delivered on 4th April 2025.

Eta-Messi stated that in the decision, the apex court unequivocally held that the tenure of the Abure-led National Executive Committee had expired.

She stressed that despite the 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.”

Eta-Messi said the judgement was delivered on August 15, 2025, dismissing the suit and enforcing the Supreme Court’s position that Abure was no longer recognised as National Chairman of LP and, thus, upholding the decision of INEC to exclude the Labour Party from the bye-election.

She stated that thereafter, LP filed multiple suits against INEC in different courts, all seeking orders compelling INEC to grant an access code for the upload of its candidates for the FCT Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.