The Labour Party has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging what it described as its wrongful exclusion from the forthcoming Enugu North Senatorial District by-election scheduled for June 20, 2026.
The party is seeking judicial intervention after it was allegedly denied the opportunity to submit the nomination of its candidate, Ambassador Simon Ejike Eze, for the election being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The senatorial seat became vacant following the death of former senator Okey Ezea on November 18, 2025. In preparation for the by-election, the Labour Party said it formally notified INEC on May 11 of its intention to hold a senatorial primary on May 25, in line with the commission’s guidelines.
According to the party, the primary election attracted thousands of members from the six local government areas in the district, with Eze emerging as the consensus candidate.
However, the party alleged that despite complying with all statutory requirements, it was unable to upload its candidate’s particulars on INEC’s nomination portal before the submission deadline of June 2. It said several efforts, including formal protests and correspondence with the commission, failed to resolve the issue.
In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, the party insisted that it fulfilled all legal and administrative obligations required under the Electoral Act and INEC regulations and therefore had no justification for being excluded from the election.
The Labour Party also expressed concern over reports that the Head of Elections and Party Monitoring in Enugu State declined to transmit the report of its primary election on the grounds that he was out of town and unable to observe the exercise.
Describing the explanation as unacceptable, the party argued that it could not be punished for the absence or failure of an electoral official to carry out his duties.
It maintained that the Electoral Act only requires political parties to notify INEC of their primaries and does not make the commission’s physical presence a condition for the validity of such exercises.
While expressing confidence in INEC’s leadership, the party called on the commission to investigate the actions of its officials in Enugu State and sanction anyone found culpable.
The Labour Party warned that preventing it from fielding a candidate in an election triggered by the death of one of its serving senators would amount to a grave injustice, depriving its supporters of representation and limiting democratic choices available to voters in the senatorial district.
The party urged its members and supporters in Enugu North and across the country to remain peaceful and law-abiding while awaiting the outcome of the court proceedings.