Members of the Labour Party (LP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday staged a protest at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja, demanding the inclusion of their candidates in the February 21 Area Council elections.
Gatekeepers News reports that the protesters described their exclusion as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise the party, insisting that a subsisting court order mandates INEC to upload LP candidates on the ballot. They threatened to occupy the commission’s premises until the order is obeyed.
Addressing the demonstrators, INEC National Commissioner Abdullahi Abdul Zuru acknowledged the challenges posed by what he described as “conflicting court orders” but assured them that the commission would act in line with the law.
“I am here on behalf of the commission to speak to you regarding the court order you have presented. I will personally hand it over to the chairman, and the commission will definitely act on it,” Abdul Zuru said.
The protesters carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “INEC, Upload Labour Party Candidates,” “Obey Court Order,” and “No Labour Party in the Ballot, No Council Election in FCT.”
Speaking during the protest, the LP Publicity Secretary in the FCT, Eyisi Okey Nwoke, insisted that Julius Abure remains the recognised national chairman of the party. He accused INEC of unlawfully excluding LP from the polls.
“We are here on a peaceful protest. We are members of the Labour Party in FCT. We are here because INEC, which is supposed to be independent conductors of election, has decided to exclude the Labour Party from the February Area Council elections,” Nwoke said.
Tracing the dispute to the 2023 general election, Nwoke alleged a conspiracy against the party.
“The genesis of this conspiracy is 2023, when we denied other political parties from making up to 25 per cent in the FCT… If not, our candidate in the 2023 election would have been the President,” he said.
According to him, the alleged plot was aimed at undermining the party’s growing popularity in the FCT.
“But they are lying. They are living in delusion because Labour Party must participate in this Area Council election and nobody will stop our candidates,” Nwoke added.
He further accused INEC of disregarding court orders, saying, “There is a court order that they must upload the Labour Party on the ballot. They have not done so to date. So, we are demanding that INEC must upload candidates of Labour Party now.”
Nwoke dismissed claims of factional crisis within the party, describing them as contrived by detractors.
“They want to wander into Labour Party to spoil our party and we resisted it… So we don’t have factions. They know that in the FCT, it is Labour Party,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the LP in the North Central Zone, Princess Licia Igbe, urged INEC to comply with the court order, insisting that the protest was peaceful and constitutional.
“We are here on a civil protest which is our right constitutionally… We have a court order concerning the FCT elections coming up on February 21, 2026, and Labour Party candidates are not on the ballot,” she said.
Igbe warned that INEC must not undermine democratic rights, adding, “INEC cannot kill our democracy. We have the right to vote… nobody has the right to stop anyone from the party they want to belong to.”
Responding to the allegations, INEC officials maintained that the commission does not disobey court orders. Abdul Zuru explained that delays often arise from conflicting judicial directives.
“We will always obey court order… Some of the challenges you normally have are due to conflicting court orders,” he said.
He noted that decisions on such matters are taken collectively by the commission, stressing that no individual, including the chairman, can act unilaterally.
“When we meet as a commission, the commission will be briefed by the appropriate members… I can’t give you a date because that means committing the commission,” Abdul Zuru added.
