Fresh uncertainty surrounds the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, as dozens of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates face potential disqualification due to ongoing national leadership disputes, while the Labour Party (LP) has been completely excluded from the polls.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the final list of candidates on September 22, 2025, confirming that out of Nigeria's 16-17 registered political parties, the LP is the only one without any cleared candidates for the 68 elective positions—six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship posts across Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji, and Kwali.
The PDP submitted a full slate of 74 candidates (including vice-chairmanship slots), but their nominations are under threat from court battles over party legitimacy. Legal experts warn that an adverse ruling against the faction conducting the primaries could invalidate all submissions, effectively wiping out PDP participation—a scenario reminiscent of Supreme Court decisions nullifying APC votes in Zamfara and PDP in Rivers during the 2019 elections due to nomination irregularities.
The PDP crisis pits a faction led by Tanimu Turaki (elected at a disputed November 2025 Ibadan convention) against one reportedly backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed. Multiple lawsuits challenge convention validity and leadership claims, with INEC maintaining neutrality pending judicial outcomes.
The LP's exclusion stems from its protracted leadership tussle between the Julius Abure faction and the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee (backed by Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti). INEC refused to recognize Abure's re-election at a Nnewi convention, citing expired tenure, and did not accept submissions despite court orders for access codes in some cases.
Observers, including civil society leaders like Auwal Rafsanjani of the Transition Monitoring Group, warn that unresolved crises could skew the contest toward the ruling party, reducing voter choice and undermining democracy. "If parties fail to resolve these internal problems, the ruling party will become the only viable option," Rafsanjani noted.
The developments highlight systemic challenges in Nigeria's party politics, with potential for court interventions altering the electoral landscape ahead of the February polls.
