By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA—The Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, has defined the circumstances surrounding its refusal to concern entry codes to Labour Celebration, LP, for the add of candidates for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Space council election, insisting there was presently no legitimate court docket order compelling it to take action.
The election is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
In a press release issued and signed yesterday by the Director of Voter Schooling and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, the fee mentioned the reason adopted a protest by some Labour Celebration supporters at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, January 5, 2026.
The protesters had complained concerning the “exclusion of their candidates for the Federal Capital Territory FCT Space Council Election” and “demanded the issuance of entry code to add its candidates for the election.”
INEC said that the controversy was rooted in Labour Celebration’s extended inner management disaster, noting that Labour Celebration had been enmeshed in extended inner management disputes since 2024, which culminated within the judgment of the Supreme Court docket in Attraction No. SC/CV/56/2025 (Usman v. Labour Celebration) delivered on 4th April 2025.
In accordance with the fee, the Supreme Court docket “unequivocally held that the tenure of the Barr. Julius Abure-led Nationwide Govt Committee had expired.”
Regardless of the apex court docket’s determination, INEC mentioned the Abure-led faction purportedly carried out primaries for the August 16, 2025, bye-election nationwide and the FCT Space council election, a improvement that led to authorized confrontations between the social gathering and the electoral physique.
The fee recalled that the faction had approached the Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja, in Swimsuit No. FHC/ABJ/1523/2025 – Labour Celebration v. INEC, difficult its exclusion from the bye-election.
It famous that “judgment was delivered on fifteenth August, 2025, dismissing the go well with and implementing the Supreme Court docket’s place that Barr. Julius Abure was now not recognised because the nationwide chairman of Labour Celebration and thus upholding the choice of INEC to exclude Labour Celebration from the bye-election.”
INEC additional disclosed that the social gathering subsequently filed a number of fits in several courts, all looking for orders compelling the fee to grant entry codes for the add of candidates for the FCT Space Council election.
These embrace “Swimsuit No. NSD/LF.84/2024 earlier than the Nasarawa State Excessive Court docket, Akwanga Division,” and later “Swimsuit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2110/2025 looking for an Order compelling INEC to concern entry codes to its candidates,” which the fee mentioned “continues to be pending earlier than the court docket.”
The fee additionally revealed that Labour Celebration filed one other go well with on the FCT Excessive Court docket, Jabi Division, marked “Swimsuit No. CV/4792/2025,” alongside a movement looking for an order compelling INEC to concern entry codes.
In accordance with INEC, the matter was adjourned to January 15, 2026, after it filed its reply, and that “one would have anticipated the social gathering to attend for the listening to of this movement however as an alternative, Labour Celebration filed one other go well with in Swimsuit No. CV/4930/2025 earlier than the FCT Excessive Court docket, Life Camp Division, looking for the identical reduction.”
INEC mentioned though an interim ex parte order was granted within the Life Camp go well with on December 16, 2025, directing it to add the names and particulars of Labour Celebration’s candidates, the court docket “expressly said that the order would lapse after seven days until prolonged.”
The fee defined that it promptly challenged the go well with, noting that “the interim Order consequently lapsed on December 23, 2025 and was not prolonged,” stressing that “accordingly, there may be presently no subsisting court docket order for INEC to behave upon.”
INEC emphasised that because the matter was earlier than the courts, it could not take any step that might undermine judicial proceedings.
It mentioned: “On condition that the matter is sub judice, INEC will proceed to respect the sanctity of the judicial course of and await the ultimate dedication of the pending instances.”
INEC reiterated its dedication to due course of, the structure and the electoral legislation, declaring that it remained guided by “the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, in addition to its Rules and Tips,” whereas affirming that it “will proceed to carry political events accountable to democratic requirements and the Rule of Regulation within the conduct of their inner affairs.”
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