By Correspondent in Abuja.
(C) Wikipedia.
An Abuja High Court has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept all candidates fielded by the Labour Party (LP) for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections scheduled for February 2026.
Justice J. O. E. Adeyemi-Ajayi gave the order while ruling on an ex-parte motion for interim injunctions filed by the LP and moved by its counsel, Christian Elom. The court directed INEC to grant the party an access code to enable it upload the names and particulars of its nominated candidates for the election.
The judge further ordered INEC to upload the names and particulars of the LP’s candidates and publish them at the six area councils in the FCT for public scrutiny within 48 hours, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed by the party.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a certified true copy (CTC) of the enrolled order, marked M/16037/2025 and dated December 16, was sighted on Thursday.
In a supporting affidavit, Elom stated that the party approached the court after INEC allegedly failed to publish the names of its candidates for the February 2026 council elections, despite having been duly notified.
In the enrolled order, Justice Adeyemi-Ajayi ruled: “An interim injunction is hereby granted, directing the defendant (INEC) to grant an access code to the claimant/applicant (LP) to upload the names and particulars of its nominated candidates for the FCT area council election scheduled for February 2026 within 48 hours, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
“An interim injunction is also granted directing the defendant to upload the names and particulars of the claimant/applicant’s nominated candidates for the FCT area council election and publish same at the respective six area councils for public scrutiny within 48 hours, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.”
The judge added that the interim injunction, granted upon an ex-parte application, would lapse after seven days unless extended by the court.
Justice Adeyemi-Ajayi subsequently granted accelerated hearing in the matter and adjourned the case to January 27, 2026, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
In its affidavit, the Labour Party averred that it duly notified INEC of its primary elections within the timeframe stipulated by law. The party said it also submitted, within the 180 days prescribed by law, the list of candidates who emerged from the primaries conducted by it, using the required forms.
The LP argued that INEC is statutorily required to publish the particulars of candidates within seven days of receiving them and, at least 150 days before the election, to display the names and addresses of nominated candidates at its offices and on its website.
The party accused INEC of failing to carry out these statutory obligations, prompting its resort to the court.
