SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian federal court has rejected a request from jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to be present at the first debate of presidential candidates for October's election.

The decision will leave the Workers' Party ticket with no representative at the TV Band debate Thursday night.

The party's candidate for vice president, Fernando Haddad, says he will be participating in a separate online debate with eight of his adversaries.

Haddad is the likely Workers' Party candidate for president since da Silva is widely expected to be barred from running due to his imprisonment for a corruption conviction.

Da Silva denies any wrongdoing and claims judges are conspiring to keep him out of the election. He is the current leader in opinion polls.