Seventy-four Peoples Democratic Party candidates risk disqualification in the upcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections due to unresolved leadership disputes within the party.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has been entirely excluded from the contest, having no candidates on the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 22, 2025.
The FCT Area Council elections, slated for February 21, 2026, cover 68 elective positions, including six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship positions across Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji, and Kwali.
Although the PDP submitted a full slate of 74 candidates, 12 for chairmanship and vice-chairmanship positions and 62 for councillorship seats, the legitimacy of these nominations is now under legal challenge.
The Labour Party’s exclusion is linked to a prolonged leadership tussle between the Julius Abure-led faction and the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee, supported by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
INEC has refused to recognise the national convention held in Nnewi, which re-elected Abure, citing the expiration of his tenure.
Despite a court order directing INEC to provide access codes for candidate submission, the commission has maintained that it only engages with leaders legally recognised, effectively leaving the LP without representation in the FCT elections.
Within the PDP, a leadership crisis has pitted the faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, elected as national chairman at the controversial convention in Ibadan on November 15–16—against a rival faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Both factions have suspended one another and filed multiple court cases over control of the party structure.
Legal experts warn that should the courts rule that the faction which conducted the PDP primaries was illegitimate, all nominations submitted under it, including chairmanship and councillorship candidates, could be nullified.
A similar scenario occurred in the 2019 general elections, when the Supreme Court invalidated APC votes in Zamfara State and PDP votes in Rivers State due to irregularities in candidate selection.
In the FCT context, such a ruling could eliminate all 74 PDP candidates, leaving the contest without representation from a major opposition party.
Auwal Rafsanjani, Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group, cautioned that the exclusion of opposition parties risks voter apathy and a lopsided election.
“If parties fail to resolve their internal disputes, the ruling party may become the only viable option, reducing voter choice and discouraging participation. Politicians must resolve internal crises to ensure free and fair competition,” he said.
