The Labour Party has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the exclusion of its candidate from the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election scheduled for June 20, 2026.
This is contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Ken Eluma Asogwa in Abuja.
The statement says the senatorial seat became vacant following the death of its lawmaker, Senator Okey Ezea, on November 18, 2025, prompting INEC to fix a by-election to fill the vacancy.
According to the statement, the party complied with all electoral guidelines by notifying INEC on May 11 of its planned primary election, which was held on May 25 to select a candidate for the poll.
It explains that Ambassador Simon Ejike Eze emerged as its consensus candidate during the primary, which it described as well-attended by party members from the six local government areas in the senatorial district.
The statement alleges that despite meeting all requirements, it was denied access to INEC’s nomination portal to upload its candidate’s particulars before the June 2 submission deadline.
It emphasizes that several attempts, including formal protests and correspondences to the electoral commission, failed to resolve the issue, leading it to seek judicial intervention.
The statement further expresses concern over reports that the Head of Elections and Party Monitoring in Enugu State declined to transmit the report of its primary election because he was reportedly out of town and unable to monitor the exercise.
It describes the explanation as unacceptable, insisting that political parties should not be punished for the absence or failure of electoral officials to carry out their responsibilities.
The statement argues that the Electoral Act only requires parties to notify INEC of their primaries, stressing that the validity of its primary election cannot be undermined by the commission’s inability to monitor the exercise.
While reaffirming confidence in INEC’s leadership and the judiciary, the Labour Party calls for an investigation into the conduct of officials involved and urged its members and supporters to remain peaceful as the court determines the matter.
