Key points
- The Labour Party has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge its omission from the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election.
- National Publicity Secretary Ken Asogwa stated that the party was blocked from uploading its candidate’s credentials onto the electoral portal.
- The senatorial seat became vacant following the passing of the district’s incumbent representative, Senator Okey Ezea, in late 2025.
- Party officials claim an electoral officer in Enugu refused to transmit their primary election report because he was out of town.
- Executive leadership urged followers to maintain public order while expressing confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary.
Main Story
The Labour Party has initiated legal proceedings against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, contesting what it describes as the wrongful exclusion of its candidate from the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election.
In an official statement released on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, revealed that the organization was prevented from participating in the upcoming ballot despite meeting all statutory obligations. The by-election was convened to fill the legislative vacancy created by the death of the district’s sitting representative, Senator Okey Ezea, who passed away in November 2025.
According to the party’s leadership, technical and administrative bottlenecks blocked their officials from accessing INEC’s nomination portal to upload their candidate’s credentials before the submission window closed on June 2. Despite sending formal complaints and letters of protest to the electoral umpire, the party received no resolution. The spokesman insisted that the political platform strictly adhered to all legal conditions required under the Electoral Act, making their exclusion from a district where they hold an active mandate highly questionable.
The core of the dispute centers on the actions of the Elections and Party Monitoring head in Enugu State, who reportedly refused to submit the primary election report on the grounds that he was out of town during the internal ballot. The Labour Party has strongly rejected this justification, calling it an unacceptable dereliction of duty that should not penalize an entire political organization.
Party officials argued that while they are legally required to notify the commission of internal primaries, physical monitoring by state officials is not a mandatory condition to validate a candidate selection process under current guidelines. While calling on INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan to investigate the Enugu branch’s handling of the matter, the party urged its base in Enugu North to remain law-abiding while the court determines the case.
The Issues
- Securing immediate judicial intervention to reverse candidate exclusion before the scheduled by-election date.
- Clarifying the legal necessity of physical presence by electoral monitoring staff during internal political primaries.
- Preventing the disenfranchisement of voters in a district previously controlled by the affected political party.
What’s Being Said
- Condemning the administrative justification given for holding back the state primary report, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Ken Asogwa, stated: “This excuse is untenable and raises serious questions about the discharge of official responsibilities. Labour Party cannot be made to suffer the consequences of an official’s absence, negligence, incompetence or dereliction of duty.”
- Emphasizing that democratic processes should not be disrupted by individual staff schedules, Asogwa added: “Electoral processes and the constitutional rights of political parties cannot be subjected to the convenience or personal circumstances of individual officers,”
- Outlining the potential injustice if the party is barred from defending its vacant legislative seat, Asogwa argued: “It would amount to a grave injustice for 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 its serving senators. Such an outcome would not only undermine the rights of the party and its supporters but it tends to diminish the democratic choices available to the people of Enugu North senatorial district in the coming by-election.”
What’s Next
- The Federal High Court in Abuja will schedule an expedited hearing to review the motion filed against the electoral umpire.
- INEC’s internal affairs unit will face pressure to review the administrative conduct of its elections monitoring department in Enugu State.
- Political organizers in Enugu North will pause formal campaign rallies pending the definitive ruling of the judiciary.
Bottom Line The Labour Party has sued INEC at the Federal High Court over its exclusion from the Enugu North by-election, arguing that its candidate was blocked from the registration portal because a local electoral official was out of town during the party’s primary.
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