Ex-LP stakeholders demand refund of Agada’s aspirant fees, threaten EFCC petition

By John Alechenu

ABUJA — Former Labour Party stakeholders and supporters of Arc. Dr. Peter Agada’s Presidential Campaign Council have demanded a refund of fees paid by the aspirant for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket, threatening to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if their request is not met.

The demand was contained in a petition signed by Prince Temilade Craig and Dr. Blessing Elaigwu in Abuja on Sunday.

The group expressed concern over remarks attributed to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barr. Kenneth Asogwa, suggesting that zoning the party’s presidential ticket to the South had already been concluded.

According to the stakeholders, Agada paid a total of N150 million to the party, comprising N50 million for expression of interest and nomination forms, and N100 million as contributions toward the Umuahia national convention and other party activities.

They said the payments were made on the understanding that Agada would participate in the presidential primary scheduled for May 30, 2026, after successfully undergoing screening on May 6, 2026.

The group questioned why the party issued nomination forms and screened Agada, who is from the Middle Belt, if the zoning arrangement had already been decided, and why he was issued a disqualification notice just two days before the primary.

They also raised concerns about the implementation of resolutions from the April 28, 2026 Umuahia national convention, alleging inconsistencies in the handling of state executive councils across the country.

The stakeholders cited alleged changes to congress-elected executives in states such as Ogun, Oyo and Edo, describing them as contradictory to the party’s stated commitment to internal democracy.

They further noted that the Labour Party eventually produced its presidential candidate for the 2027 election on May 30, 2026, after excluding Agada from the primary.

The group said the developments reinforce concerns in some quarters about perceived regional bias within the party, urging leadership to address the issue to improve national appeal.

They warned that they would seek a refund of campaign funds contributed by Agada’s political network and escalate the matter to the EFCC if necessary.

“We wish them well, but 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 principal, Arc. Dr. Peter Agada,” the petition read.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party National Publicity Secretary was not available for comment at the time of filing this report.

However, a senior party official dismissed the claims, describing nomination fees as non-refundable contributions used for party administration and campaign logistics.

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