LP sues INEC over Enugu North by-election exclusion

Nigeria's Labour Party has taken the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Federal High Court in Abuja, protesting the exclusion of its candidate from the upcoming Enugu North Senatorial District by-election. The party alleges that INEC denied them access to the nomination portal, preventing the submission of their candidate's particulars despite the Labour Party fulfilling all statutory requirements.

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The party is deeply concerned that despite complying with all statutory requirements and procedural guidelines, it was denied access to upload the particulars of its candidate on INEC’s nomination portal.

According to Ken Asogwa, the Labour Party's National Publicity Secretary, the party notified INEC on May 11 of its intention to hold a senatorial primary election on May 25, adhering to the commission's guidelines. He stated that despite repeated efforts, including formal protests and correspondence, the party was unable to upload its candidate's details before the June 2, 2026, submission deadline.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of Senator Okey Ezea, who represented the Enugu North Senatorial District and was a member of the Labour Party. He passed away on November 18, 2025. The Labour Party insists it met all legal and administrative obligations under the Electoral Act and INEC's regulations for nominating its candidate, Simon Ejike Eze, who emerged as the consensus candidate at the primary.

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It is both disturbing and deeply concerning that the head of Elections and Party Monitoring (EPM) in Enugu State reportedly justified his refusal to transmit the report of the Labour Party’s primary election on the flimsy ground that he was out of town on the date of the exercise and was therefore unable to observe or monitor it.

Asogwa expressed dismay over the justification reportedly given by the head of INEC's Elections and Party Monitoring in Enugu State. The official allegedly refused to transmit the primary election report, citing being out of town on the day of the exercise. The Labour Party deems this explanation untenable, arguing that a political party should not be penalized for the failure of an electoral official to perform their duties. The party views this exclusion as a grave injustice, potentially denying them the opportunity to contest in an election meant to fill a vacancy.

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It would amount to a grave injustice for the Labour Party to be denied the opportunity of presenting a candidate in an election convened to fill a vacancy created by the death of one of