Stakeholders of the Labour Party (LP) and members of the Presidential Campaign Council of Arc. Peter Agada have rejected his disqualification from Saturday’s presidential primary, questioning the legality of the zoning arrangement adopted by the party’s leadership.
The stakeholders accused the National Executive Council, NEC, led by Alex Otti, and the National Working Committee, NWC, headed by Nenadi Usman, of acting contrary to the party’s constitution.
In a statement jointly signed by Temilade Craig and Dr. Blessing Elaigwu on behalf of Agada’s campaign team on Saturday in Abuja, the group described the May 28, 2026 disqualification as unconstitutional and inconsistent with the party’s principles of equal opportunity and social justice.
According to the statement, Agada was screened for the primary election on May 6 after paying about N300 million for nomination forms, secretariat contributions and campaign structures across the country.
The stakeholders faulted the party leadership for relying on an alleged zoning resolution adopted at the party’s April 28, 2026 national convention in Umuahia to disqualify the aspirant barely three days before the primary election.
“There is no provision for zoning elective offices in the Labour Party constitution, past or current, including the one from the Umuahia convention,” the statement read.
The group questioned why the party accepted N150 million from Agada for nomination forms and screened him if it had already resolved to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
They further claimed that the aspirant had spent an additional N150 million establishing campaign structures nationwide before his disqualification.
The stakeholders also cited what they described as inconsistencies in the application of the zoning arrangement, alleging that members of the NEC and NWC, as well as their relatives, were contesting legislative positions in Edo State from the same senatorial district without objections based on zoning.
“This amounts to injustice and naked apartheid against Arc. Peter Agada,” they stated.
The group urged the party leadership to reverse the decision and allow Agada to participate in the presidential primary.
They warned that failure to do so could result in legal action.
“If this is not done within the few hours left before the primaries begin, we shall mobilise in solidarity with the Peter Agada Presidential Campaign Council for legal redress,” the statement added.
Reacting, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, dismissed the petition and defended the party’s decision.
According to him, all aspirants were fully aware of the zoning arrangement before joining the race.
“We in the Labour Party have been transparent in our processes. The decision to zone and what led to it, as announced by our National Chairman and ratified by our national convention, are all in the public domain.
“We will appeal to all party members to respect our processes and support our collective decisions,” Asogwa said.
