Court affirms Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as Accord presidential candidate

The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party for the January 16, 2027 presidential election, ordering the party to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, in a judgment delivered on Monday, held that the Accord Party violated Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 by refusing to submit Olawepo-Hashim’s name to INEC after he emerged as the winner of the party’s May 30, 2026 presidential primary.

The judge also ordered INEC to accept and recognise Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate upon submission of his name by the party.

Justice Umar rejected the party’s claim that it did not conduct the disputed presidential primary, holding that the evidence before the court contradicted the position

The judge noted that the party had accepted N50m from Olawepo-Hashim as payment for the expression of interest and nomination forms, among other evidence presented before the court.

He also described several of the claims made by Accord Party concerning the disputed primary as contradictory and unbelievable in the face of the law.

The judgment followed a suit filed by Olawepo-Hashim challenging the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal despite his claim that he emerged as the sole aspirant and winner of the May 30 primary.

The plaintiff, through his counsel, Henry Akunebu, SAN, had urged the court to compel Accord Party to submit his name to INEC and direct the electoral commission to recognise and accept his nomination.

Akunebu had also challenged the authenticity and evidential value of documents relied upon by the party and INEC, particularly a letter purportedly notifying the commission of the cancellation of the presidential primary.

The senior lawyer argued that the alleged cancellation letter lacked the party’s official stamp and was addressed to the INEC Chairman but received by an unnamed national commissioner.

He urged the court to discountenance the documents, arguing that they were fabricated during the proceedings.

Counsel for Accord Party, T.W. Olusesi, had maintained that the presidential primary was cancelled and that no valid primary produced Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s candidate.

INEC’s counsel, D.J. Gusen, similarly argued that the commission did not monitor the purported primary because it had received notification that the exercise had been cancelled.

Justice Umar, however, rejected the objections against Olawepo-Hashim’s case and the purported cancellation of the primary, paving the way for recognition of the May 30 exercise.

In the originating summons, Olawepo-Hashim asked the court to determine whether Accord Party could lawfully refuse to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal after he emerged as the winner of the primary.

He sought a declaration that the party’s failure to submit his name violated Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026, as well as relevant provisions of the Constitution and INEC’s guidelines on the nomination of candidates.

He further asked the court, in the alternative, to order the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Olawepo-Hashim described himself as a registered and financially compliant member of Accord Party.

He said he contributed N7m towards the party’s electronic membership registration programme and paid N50m for the presidential nomination forms.

He also maintained that he emerged as the sole aspirant at the May 30 primary, which he said was monitored by INEC officials.

Reacting to the judgment, Olawepo-Hashim dedicated the victory to God and called for reconciliation among the party’s stakeholders and members.

“I give God the Glory for this victory. I dedicate the victory also to all stakeholders and our dear party members and my hardworking legal team. We are grateful to the Judiciary that has done justice in this matter.

“We won’t leave anybody behind…We should all come together and work for the party’s victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential election and all other elections. The march to a New Nigeria has started,” he said.

The judgment places Olawepo-Hashim’s candidacy on the official electoral process, subject to any further legal challenge or appeal arising from the ruling.