FCT Polls: Labour Party Members Protest at INEC Over Exclusion From Ballot

Members of the Labour Party (LP) in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday stormed the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, protesting the alleged exclusion of their candidates from the February 21 Area Council elections.

The protesters accused INEC of deliberately attempting to disenfranchise the party despite an existing court order directing the commission to include LP candidates on the ballot. They vowed to remain at INEC’s premises until the directive was obeyed.

INEC National Commissioner, Abdullahi Abdul Zuru, who addressed the protesters, acknowledged that the commission was faced with “conflicting court orders,” but assured them that INEC would act strictly within the law.

“I am here on behalf of the commission to inform you that the court order you presented will be forwarded to the Chairman. The commission will certainly act on it,” he said.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “INEC, Upload Labour Party Candidates,” “Obey Court Order,” and “No Labour Party on the Ballot, No Election in FCT.”

FCT Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Eyisi Okey Nwoke, insisted that Julius Abure remains the legitimate National Chairman of the party. He accused political opponents of plotting to weaken the party following its strong performance in the 2023 elections.

According to him, “INEC is supposed to be independent, but instead, it has excluded Labour Party from the Area Council elections despite a court order. This is a conspiracy to silence our popularity, but it will fail. Labour Party must be on the ballot.”

Also speaking, LP North Central Zonal Chairperson, Princess Licia Igbe, said the protest was peaceful and constitutionally justified. She urged INEC to respect the court ruling and uphold democratic principles.

“We are not here to cause chaos. We are simply demanding our constitutional right. INEC must act with integrity and ensure Labour Party candidates are uploaded,” she said.

Responding further, the INEC Commissioner explained that the commission does not intentionally disobey court orders, but is sometimes constrained by conflicting legal directives. He assured that the final decision would be taken collectively by the commission.