Abuja, Jan. 10, 2026 (NAN) — The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed claims suggesting that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recent statement on the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections is connected to an alleged leadership crisis within the party.
The party made this clarification in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh.
Ifoh said the clarification was necessitated by comments credited to a former senator, Mr Darlington Nwokocha, whom he described as a suspended member of the party.
According to him, Nwokocha deliberately misrepresented INEC’s position to serve personal interests and mislead the public.
He explained that INEC’s decision to withhold access codes for the forthcoming FCT Area Council elections was strictly based on pending legal cases surrounding the polls and had no connection whatsoever to the leadership structure of the Labour Party.
“The issue has absolutely nothing to do with the leadership of the Labour Party,” Ifoh said.
He stressed that there was no vacancy in the party’s national leadership, affirming that Mr Julius Abure remained the duly recognised National Chairman, with his details validly registered with INEC.
Ifoh further noted that the relationship between the Labour Party and INEC had been regularised under the current leadership of the commission.
He cited the party’s participation in consultative meetings, monitoring of congresses, and engagements ahead of forthcoming governorship elections as clear evidence of a cordial and functional relationship with INEC.
The party spokesperson urged Nigerians to disregard what he described as misleading narratives, insisting that the Labour Party remained united, operational, and fully under the leadership of Julius Abure.
Ifeoluwa Okonkwo ✔
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