…Dismisses Fraud Allegations
The National leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has rejected the allegations of fraud and political manipulation made by former presidential aspirant, Dr Peter Agada, following his disqualification from the party’s 2027 presidential primary.
Agada, through his Presidential Campaign Council, is demanding the refund of N150 million paid to the party during his bid for the presidential ticket.
The dispute arose after Agada was excluded from the presidential primary held on May 30, prompting his supporters to accuse the party leadership of accepting nomination-related payments despite allegedly knowing he would not be allowed to contest because of the party’s zoning arrangement.
In a petition released in Abuja, the council alleged that the party collected N50 million for expression of interest and nomination forms and an additional N100 million as contributions towards the party’s national convention and other activities.
The petition, signed by the council’s President and Secretary, Prince Temilade Craig, claimed the party acted in bad faith by allowing Agada to purchase forms, undergo screening and continue his campaign before eventually notifying him of his disqualification.
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The council stated: “We members and supporters of Dr Peter Agada Presidential Campaign Council nationwide have read with shock and disgust the self-indicting and contradicting confession by LP leadership, confirming that the party conspired to obtain under unfair pretences aspirant fees for expression of interest form, nomination fees and subsequent screening from the aspirant.
“The fees obtained by the party totalled N150m, being N50m for expression of interest and nomination forms and another N100m as induced contributions to the Umuahia national convention and other party support activities, which were obtained from our presidential aspirant, Dr Peter Agada, under the pretext and assurances of the party’s support for his presidential race.
“We use this opportunity to state that any other sum different from the above, published anywhere else, is not true and not from us.”
The council further argued that if the presidential ticket had already been zoned to the South, there was no justification for allowing Agada, who is from the North-Central zone, to participate in the nomination process.
It also threatened to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging that campaign funds were obtained under false pretences.
Craig said: “We wish them well as we hereby put them on notice of hearing soonest from the EFCC on our political networks’ jointly contributed campaign funds, which they obtained under false pretences from our dear principal, Arc. Dr. Peter Agada. Nigeria must be purged in every frontier of charlatan corruption and retrogression.”
Responding to the allegations, Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, maintained that Agada’s disqualification was consistent with the party’s constitution and decisions reached at its national convention.
According to him, the zoning of the presidential ticket to the South was not a recent development but a long-standing decision that was formally ratified during the party’s national convention on April 28, 2026.
Asogwa said, “The decision to zone the presidency to the South did not happen yesterday. It is a settled matter that was adopted long ago and ratified at the national convention.”
He added that resolutions adopted at the convention are binding on all members and aspirants.
“It is unfortunate that he chose to go against this zoning arrangement and proceeded to buy nomination forms,” Asogwa stated.
The party further dismissed suggestions that Agada’s financial investments in his campaign could override established party rules, insisting that his disqualification was neither personal nor targeted.
LP maintained that the decision was necessary to uphold internal agreements, party cohesion and constitutional provisions governing the conduct of its primaries.
