Labaran Maku, Two Others Cleared for LP Primaries After Abuja Screening

Former Minister of Information Labaran Maku and two Labour Party presidential aspirants have been screened and cleared ahead of the party’s primaries scheduled for May 30.

The screening, held Friday at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, cleared Maku, former Director of Finance in the Obidient Movement Peter Agada, and London-based entrepreneur Samuel Nwigwe. Several other aspirants for various offices also took part in the exercise.

Speaking after the screening, Nwigwe said his experience living and working abroad convinced him that Nigeria could adopt governance models from London, Singapore, Toronto, and Amsterdam. He pledged to focus on building a secure and productive economy if elected.

“Insecurity has displaced many Nigerians and weakened confidence in government, but it can be reversed with political will,” Nwigwe said. He cited the responsiveness of security agencies in the UK as an example of the system he wants to see in Nigeria and reaffirmed his commitment to the Labour Party’s principles of social justice and equal opportunity.

Agada said he would run an intensive campaign for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket, drawing on a nationwide network built over 20 years of political mobilisation. 

While acknowledging the party’s zoning arrangement that favours the South, he said his ambition remained on track. He added that many members who stayed with the party during its recent crises were now working to rebuild its structure and bring back those who left.

“All they need to see is someone led by the party’s strong ideology. Someone who speaks with a passion that resonates, and they will return,” Agada said.

Maku said he would push for national reforms and a new constitution if elected senator on the Labour Party platform. 

He argued that restructuring the current governance system was necessary to address insecurity and disunity. The former minister said his background as a journalist, editor, and public official under former President Goodluck Jonathan had shaped his commitment to accountability and democracy.

“I believe insecurity in Nigeria is political. Politics must be freed of violence to allow development and protect citizens,” Maku said. “We need a constitution that is complete and a government that will unite Nigeria.”