Presidential Bid In Jeopardy: Gbenga Hashim Drags Accord, INEC To Court Over Candidate Upholding

Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, the Accord Party presidential candidate, has initiated legal proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja to assert his rightful claim to the party's presidential ticket for the 2027 general election. He has filed an Originating Summons seeking an order to compel the Accord Party to recognize him as its legitimate presidential candidate and to transmit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the suit, Dr. Olawepo-Hashim named the Accord Party as the first defendant and INEC as the second defendant. He is asking the court to determine if the Accord Party's failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite his emergence as the sole winner of the presidential primary held on May 30, 2026, constitutes a violation of the Electoral Act, 2026, the Nigerian Constitution, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

Furthermore, the plaintiff seeks a declaration that the party's refusal to forward his name to INEC breaches Section 86 of the Electoral Act, 2026, along with Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of the electoral guidelines governing candidate nominations. He is also requesting the court to issue an order directing the Accord Party to promptly upload and submit his name to INEC as its presidential candidate for the upcoming 2027 general election. As an alternative relief, should the court decline to order the immediate submission of his name, Dr. Olawepo-Hashim has asked for a directive for the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.

In a supporting affidavit, Dr. Olawepo-Hashim affirmed his status as a registered and financial member of the Accord Party, claiming to have personally sponsored the party’s electronic membership drive with a payment of ₦7 million. He also stated that he paid the prescribed ₦50 million nomination fee to contest the party’s presidential primary, where he emerged as the sole aspirant and undisputed winner on May 30, 2026. He highlighted that the primary election was monitored by INEC officials, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Despite his clear victory, Dr. Olawepo-Hashim alleged that the Accord Party failed to submit his name to the electoral commission as its presidential candidate. He further claimed that the party neglected to provide aspirants with specific guidelines for the conduct of the presidential primary, a requirement under INEC’s regulations. However, he proceeded with the process based on assurances allegedly given by the party’s national leadership.

Chief Henry Akunebu (SAN), counsel to Dr. Olawepo-Hashim, argued in a written address supporting the suit that political parties are legally obligated to comply with the Electoral Act, their own constitutions, and INEC’s guidelines when nominating candidates. He contended that once a political party conducts a valid primary election and produces a winner, it has a statutory duty to submit that winner's name to INEC and cannot arbitrarily deny the successful aspirant the benefits of the democratic process. The plaintiff's counsel urged the court to uphold the principles of internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought in the suit.

During Thursday’s proceedings at the Federal High Court, counsel representing INEC applied for an adjournment to allow the commission to respond to the suit. The Accord Party's counsel supported this application for adjournment. However, Chief Henry Akunebu (SAN) opposed the request, urging the court to proceed with the hearing. After considering all arguments, the presiding judge granted the application for adjournment, setting Tuesday, July 14, 2026, as the date for the hearing of the substantive suit. This case is anticipated to be a significant test of the application of the Electoral Act, 2026, and is expected to reinforce judicial scrutiny of internal party democracy in the lead-up to the 2027 general election.