By Ola Taiwo
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday affirmed Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party for the 2027 presidential election and ordered the party to upload his name to the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court delivered the judgement as it held that Olawepo-Hashim had emerged the party’s presidential candidate at the party’s primaries held on May 30, 2026.
Olawepo-Hashim had headed for the court when the Accord party refused to forward his name to the INEC as its presidential candidate.
He sought recognition as the duly nominated presidential candidate of Accord Party, where he maintained that he was the sole aspirant and winner of the May 30, 2026 primary.
He argued that the party’s refusal to upload his name violated the Constitution, Electoral Act 2026 and relevant INEC regulations and guidelines governing the nomination of political party candidates.
In his originating summons, he asked the court to determine whether Accord Party could validly refuse to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal after the conduct of a primary in which he emerged as the winner.
He had also sought, in the alternative, an order directing the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.
Olawepo-Hashim maintained throughout the proceedings that he was a registered and financially compliant member of Accord Party, had paid the prescribed ₦50 million presidential nomination fee and contributed ₦7 million towards the party’s electronic membership registration programme.
He also maintained that INEC officials monitored the May 30 primary at which he emerged as the sole aspirant.
Olawpo-Hashim’s case was argued by Henry Akunebu, SAN; who urged the court to compel the party to recognise the politician as its presidential candidate and forward his name to INEC.
Akunebu had challenged the validity and evidential value of documents relied upon to dispute Hashim’s emergence, particularly a purported letter notifying INEC of the cancellation of the presidential primary.
He argued that the alleged cancellation letter lacked the party’s official stamp and imprimatur and questioned the circumstances surrounding its receipt by INEC.
However, counsel representing the Accord party, T.W. Olusesi, argued that the presidential primary had been cancelled and that no valid primary produced Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s candidate.
Also, counsel for INEC, D.J. Gusen, argued that the commission did not monitor the purported primary because it had received notification that the exercise had been cancelled.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in his judgment, dismissed the preliminary objections filed against Hashim’s suit and rejected the purported letter relied upon to communicate the cancellation of the party’s presidential primary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court ordered the Accord Party to upload Hashim’s name to INEC’s portal as its presidential candidate, effectively recognising his emergence from the party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026.
In his reaction to the ruling, Olawepo-Hashim dedicated the victory to God and called for reconciliation among stakeholders and party 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 tthe Judiciary that has done justice on 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 stated
