The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP) were conspicuously absent at an ongoing high-level meeting convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with leaders of registered political parties.

Although the meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m., it officially began an hour later—yet the seats reserved for the chairmen and secretaries of the three parties remained vacant. None of the parties sent a representative.

The absence is linked to ongoing leadership crises within the parties, which have resulted in multiple factions laying claim to party structures.

The PDP had earlier met with INEC on Tuesday in an attempt to resolve the impasse over the party’s national secretaryship but failed to reach a resolution.

The Labour Party remains divided between the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC)—whose leadership was sacked by the Supreme Court on April 4—and a National Caretaker Committee (NCC) led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman.

It remains unclear which faction INEC invited. Ken Asogwa, spokesperson for Senator Usman, told New Telegraph that she is currently out of the country.

However, the NCC’s National Secretary, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, said no invitation was extended to him.

As for the SDP, its internal crisis deepened recently following the suspension of its National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, further complicating its participation in the INEC engagement.

The absence of these major opposition parties has raised concerns about their level of coordination and preparedness ahead of critical democratic processes.