INEC explains withholding of access codes from Labour Party ahead of FCT polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified its decision to withhold access codes from the Labour Party for uploading the names of candidates for the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Ewa-Messi, the Commission attributed the decision to the prolonged leadership crisis within the Labour Party, which has resulted in multiple court cases.

The clarification followed a protest by Labour Party supporters at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, where demonstrators accused the Commission of deliberately excluding the party from the election and demanded the release of the access codes required to upload candidates’ details.

INEC described the protest as unnecessary, noting that the matter is already before the courts and is therefore sub judice.

According to the Commission, the internal leadership crisis in the Labour Party was resolved by a Supreme Court judgment delivered on April 4, 2025, which ruled that the tenure of the National Executive Committee led by Julius Abure had expired.

INEC stated that despite the judgment, the Abure-led faction went ahead to conduct primaries for the August 16, 2025, by-elections nationwide, including those for the FCT Area Council elections.

The Commission further disclosed that several suits filed by the party seeking to compel INEC to issue access codes had either been dismissed or are still pending before the courts.

While acknowledging that a High Court in Abuja granted an interim ex parte order on December 16, 2025, directing it to upload Labour Party candidates, INEC noted that the order was valid for only seven days and was not renewed.

“The interim order lapsed on December 23, 2025, and was not extended. As such, there is currently no subsisting court order for INEC to act upon,” the statement said.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to due process, stressing that it would continue to respect the judiciary and await the final determination of all pending cases before taking any further action.