INEC statement On FCT Area Council Election, Not Our Party—LP

By Tom Okpe

11 January 2026

News

The Labour Party (LP), has warned those, described as its detractors to desist from misinforming Nigerians, noting that the recently released statement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was about the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory, FCT, elections and not, the party’s leadership.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Obiora Ifo made this known in a statement in Abuja, warning Senator Darlington Nwokocha to stop impersonations and misinforming Nigerians on the Party matters.

Ifoh agreed that INEC had in a in a statement titled: ‘Claims on Access Code For Labour Party Candidates in the 2026 FCT Area Council Election.’ detailed the judicial progression leading to its decision to withheld Access Code from the Party, however, the statement has nothing to do with the leadership of the Party.

The NPS in his reactions, said: “The attention of the Party leadership has been drawn to a statement issued by a suspended member of the Party and a one time senator, Darlington Nwokocha where he purportedly claimed to represent an illegal and non existing Caretaker Committee of our party, wherein, he exhibited his colossal ignorance on the import of the Statement issued by the INEC on the reason why it withheld Access Code from the Labour Party, ahead of the February 18th, 2026 FCT Area Council election.

“The INEC statement simply stated that due to inconclusive legal actions arising from the FCT Area Council election, it would be proper to wait until the cases are dispensed with.

“But Nwokocha in his infantile, hysterical and uncontrolled emotion misinterpreted the INEC’s statement to suit his intents. He misconstrued the essence of the INEC’s statement. It has nothing to do with leadership of the Labour Party. He should know by now that there is no vacancy in the National Secretariat of the Party.”

Ifoh further stressed that it is germane at this point to impress here that the new leadership of INEC under Prof Joash Amupitan has since regularized its relationship with the Barrister Julius Abure leadership of the Labour Party having taken over from the famously compromised and controversial immediate past leadership of the Commission.

“Under the new leadership of the Commission, INEC has remedied the past errors by inviting the Julius Abure leadership of the Party to its quarterly Consultative meeting with the leadership of political parties.

“The commission has also involved the leadership in the processes, leading to the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, including issuance of Code for the upload of our candidates. The Commission just few weeks ago, also, sent its senior officers from the Election and Party Management, EPM, as well as Legal departments to monitor the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting, monitoring congresses of the party across the federation.

It is obvious that INEC has moved on towards the right direction as it is not an author of confusion. INEC can not approbate and reprobate at the same time. And this is why the leadership of the Labour Party is advising Senator Nwokocha and his NLC appointed NWC to also move on.

“This is because their master and leader, Peter Obi has gone to ADC, we expect him and his Governor, Alex Otti to quickly join Obi and Nenadi Usman into ADC. In any event, they are already on suspension and we don’t regard them as our members any longer.

“Labour Party under Abure’s leadership gave Darlington Nwokocha the Senate ticket in the 2023 election which he actually won but due to his negligence, lackadaisical attitude and his incompetence, he could not defend his mandate and was kicked out of the Senate.

“Our advice to him is, now that electioneering is underway, he should make some efforts to sort himself out politically as there is no vacancy at the National Secretariat of our Party.

“It is also important at this juncture, reemphasize that no court in Nigeria has set aside the Labour Party 2024 National Convention held on the 27th of March 2024.

“The Supreme Court’s decision in SC/CV/56/2025 did not remove Barr Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Party. The Supreme Court rather affirmed that the leadership of a political party is the internal affairs of the Party and a no go area for the courts as it is non- justiciable.

“The Supreme Court only struck out the suit in the trial Court and the Appeal in the lower court because the pronouncement made by both courts, on the leadership of the Labour Party, to be without jurisdiction,” he added.