Presidential aspirant of the Labour Party (LP), Arc. Peter Agada, has accused the party leadership of orchestrating what he described as a “shocking political swindle” after allegedly spending more than ₦300 million on his presidential ambition before being disqualified from the race.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a strongly worded statement issued through his campaign organisation, Agada claimed he was fully screened, cleared, and actively preparing for the party’s presidential primary before he suddenly received a disqualification letter only days to the exercise.
According to the campaign, the party collected huge financial commitments from him for nomination forms, administrative processes, and nationwide campaign structures before abruptly shutting him out of the contest.
“After collecting over ₦300 million from me, they turned around and shut me out of the race,” the campaign alleged, describing the situation as a “calculated political betrayal disguised as party procedure.”
Agada’s camp further argued that the party justified the disqualification using a zoning arrangement that was allegedly introduced late and inconsistently enforced.
The group insisted that zoning was never presented as a binding or transparent condition during the earlier stages of the process, adding that his exclusion after full participation amounted to “bad faith, internal injustice, and financial exploitation.”
The campaign demanded Agada’s immediate reinstatement into the presidential race.
However, the Labour Party has defended its decision, insisting that the presidential ticket had long been zoned to the South in line with resolutions adopted by the party.
Responding to the allegations, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, stated that the zoning arrangement was neither new nor arbitrary, but a long-standing resolution publicly affirmed by the party leadership.
“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 said.
Asogwa explained that the decision was formally endorsed during the Labour Party’s national convention held on April 28, 2026, which he described as the party’s highest decision-making body.
According to him, all party organs, including aspirants and the National Working Committee, are bound by the convention’s resolutions.
He argued that Agada knowingly took a political risk by purchasing nomination forms and continuing campaign activities despite the zoning arrangement being publicly known.
“For those who chose to go against this zoning arrangement and proceeded to buy nomination forms, it is unfortunate,” he added.
The party also dismissed the aspirant’s claims regarding the over ₦300 million allegedly spent on the process, insisting that financial investments cannot override constitutional decisions of the party.
Labour Party maintained that the disqualification was not targeted at any individual but was a legitimate enforcement of collective party resolutions and internal democratic procedures.
Meanwhile, the controversy has continued to stir tension within the party, with Agada’s supporters insisting that the zoning principle was selectively applied and unfairly enforced at the final stage of the process.
Despite growing calls for clarification and reconciliation ahead of the presidential primary, the party leadership says it remains committed to upholding its constitutional decisions.
