By Taiye Agbaje
Abuja, Dec. 18, 2025
In a significant pre-election legal ruling, an Abuja High Court has intervened to compel Nigeria’s electoral body to include the Labour Party (LP) on the ballot for the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections. Justice J. O. E. Adeyemi-Ajayi has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept all candidates fielded by the LP for the polls scheduled for February 2026.
This decision is more than a routine court order; it is a critical enforcement of electoral timelines and party rights that could set a precedent for future disputes. The ruling underscores the ongoing tensions between political parties and the electoral commission in the delicate pre-election phase, where candidate list publication is often a first battleground.
Details of the Court Order
Justice Adeyemi-Ajayi’s ruling, delivered on an ex-parte motion filed by the LP’s lawyer, Christian Elom, contains two immediate injunctions:
- Access Grant: INEC must provide the LP with an access code to upload the names and particulars of its nominated candidates onto the commission’s portal.
- Publication Mandate: INEC is ordered to upload and physically publish these names at the six area councils for public scrutiny within 48 hours.
These orders are interim injunctions, pending the hearing of a substantive motion on notice scheduled for January 27, 2026. Crucially, the judge specified that the injunction would “abate seven days from today unless extended,” adding urgency to the proceedings. The court also granted an accelerated hearing for the case.
The Labour Party’s Legal Argument
The LP’s case, as detailed in its supporting affidavit, hinges on INEC’s alleged failure to execute specific statutory duties. The party’s argument provides a clear checklist of electoral legal obligations:
- Timely Notification: The LP asserts it notified INEC of its primary elections within the legally stipulated timeframe.
- Candidate Submission: It submitted its list of candidates from conducted primaries to INEC within the 180-day period required by law.
- INEC’s Publication Duty: The party cited the legal mandate requiring INEC to publish candidate particulars within seven days of receipt and, at least 150 days before the election, display a full statement of candidates’ names and addresses at its offices and website.
The LP’s decision to seek an ex-parte order—a hearing without the other party present—suggests it viewed the situation as one requiring urgent judicial intervention to prevent irreparable harm to its electoral participation.
Broader Context and Implications
This ruling occurs against a backdrop of repeated legal clashes between parties and INEC over candidate nomination and publication. Such disputes are common in Nigerian elections, often centering on technicalities of submission deadlines, form completeness, and internal party legitimacy.
For the Labour Party, this court victory is vital. Following its surge in popularity in the 2023 general elections, maintaining ballot presence in all subsequent polls is crucial for sustaining its political momentum. Exclusion from the FCT council elections would have been a significant setback in its efforts to build grassroots governance structures.
For INEC, the order is a directive to strictly adhere to its own guidelines and the Electoral Act. It highlights the scrutiny under which the commission operates and the legal consequences of perceived lapses in its processes.
For Voters and Democracy, the ruling reinforces the principle that the courts can serve as a necessary check to ensure inclusive elections. It helps guarantee that voters in the FCT’s six area councils will have the LP as a choice on their ballots, preserving the plurality of the contest.
The forthcoming hearing on January 27, 2026, will delve into the merits of the LP’s substantive motion and INEC’s likely defense. The outcome could further clarify the boundaries of INEC’s administrative discretion versus its mandatory statutory duties in the candidate nomination process.
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
