Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday upheld the exclusion of Labour Party candidates from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections slated for February 21.
The judge, who delivered judgment in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2110/2025,
declined to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept or publish the party’s list of candidates for the polls.
He said the suit filed by the Labour Party and its candidates in the FCT elections, was statute barred because it was not filed 14 days after the cause of action arose.
The party had challenged INEC’s decision to exclude its candidates from the elections.
The party argued that its candidates were duly nominated but were unlawfully excluded when INEC published the final list of contestants in September 2025.
The LP also complained that its logo was omitted from the list of political parties authorised to participate in the elections.
Justice Lifu, however, dismissed the suit and upheld INEC’s position on the exclusion of the party’s candidates.
