Court Reserves Judgment In Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim’s Suit Against Accord Party, INEC Over 2027 Presidential Ticket

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in a suit filed by an Accord Party chieftain, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, seeking an order compelling the party to recognise him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Mohammed Umar fixed no specific date for the judgment but said parties would be notified after counsel to the plaintiff and the defendants adopted their final written addresses on Wednesday.

Counsel to Olawepo-Hashim, Mr. Henry Akunebu (SAN), urged the court to direct the Accord Party to immediately submit his client’s name to INEC as the party’s presidential candidate and compel the electoral commission to accept and recognise the nomination.

The senior lawyer questioned the authenticity of documents tendered by the Accord Party and INEC, particularly a letter allegedly cancelling the party’s presidential primary. He argued that the document lacked the party’s official stamp and was addressed to the INEC Chairman but was only acknowledged by an unnamed National Commissioner.

Akunebu urged the court to discountenance the exhibits, describing them as documents allegedly fabricated during the course of the proceedings. He also challenged the admissibility of the party’s computer-generated membership register, arguing that it was not accompanied by the required certificate of compliance. According to him, the presidential primary was never validly cancelled.

However, counsel to the Accord Party, Mr. T.W. Olusesi, maintained that the presidential primary was lawfully cancelled after no aspirant purchased nomination forms or participated in the process. He told the court that INEC did not monitor the exercise because the party had formally cancelled it and urged the court to dismiss the suit.

INEC’s counsel, Mr. D.J. Gusen, aligned with the party’s position, informing the court that the commission did not deploy officials to monitor the primary because it had received a letter notifying it of the cancellation. He also asked the court to dismiss the action.

In the suit, Olawepo-Hashim, who sued the Accord Party and INEC as first and second defendants respectively, is asking the court to determine whether the party’s refusal to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal after he allegedly emerged as the sole winner of the May 30 presidential primary contravenes the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s guidelines for political parties.

Among the reliefs sought are declarations that the party’s failure to forward his name violates Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of the guidelines governing candidate nominations. He also seeks an order directing the party to submit his name to INEC as its presidential candidate.

Alternatively, the plaintiff is asking the court to order the conduct of a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate..

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Olawepo-Hashim stated that he is a registered and financial member of the Accord Party, claiming he sponsored the party’s electronic membership registration exercise with a payment of ₦7 million and also paid ₦50 million as nomination fee to contest the presidential primary.

He further claimed that he emerged as the sole aspirant and winner of a primary allegedly monitored by INEC officials in compliance with the Electoral Act but that the party failed to submit his name to the electoral commission despite his emergence.

The plaintiff also alleged that the party did not provide aspirants with the required guidelines for the conduct of the primary in line with INEC regulations, adding that he nevertheless proceeded with the exercise based on assurances from the party’s national leadership.

In his final written address, Akunebu argued that political parties are legally obligated to comply with the Electoral Act, their constitutions and INEC guidelines in the nomination of candidates. He urged the court to uphold the principles of internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought by his client.