The Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in a suit filed by Accord Party stalwart, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who is asking the court to compel the party to recognise him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Justice Mohammed Umar fixed judgment for a later date to be communicated to all parties after lawyers in the matter adopted their final written addresses on Wednesday.
Representing the plaintiff, Henry Akunebu urged the court to direct the Accord Party to immediately upload Olawepo-Hashim’s name to INEC’s candidate nomination portal and compel the electoral commission to accept and recognise the nomination.
Akunebu questioned the credibility of documents presented by the party and INEC, especially a letter purportedly cancelling the party’s presidential primary. According to him, the letter bore no official party stamp and, although addressed to the INEC Chairman, was acknowledged by an unnamed national commissioner.
He asked the court to reject the exhibits, arguing that they were fabricated during the course of the proceedings.
The senior lawyer also challenged the admissibility of the party’s computer-generated membership register, saying it was not accompanied by a certificate of compliance. He insisted that the presidential primary was never cancelled.
However, counsel for the Accord Party, T.W. Olusesi, asked the court to dismiss the case, maintaining that the presidential primary had been lawfully cancelled because no aspirant purchased nomination forms or presented themselves to contest.
Olusesi further argued that INEC did not deploy officials to monitor the exercise because it had already been informed that the primary would no longer hold.
INEC’s counsel, D.J. Gusen, supported the party’s position, telling the court that the commission stayed away from the exercise after receiving a letter notifying it of the cancellation through one of its national commissioners. He also urged the court to dismiss the suit.
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In the originating summons, Olawepo-Hashim asked the court to determine whether the party’s refusal to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite his claim that he emerged as the sole winner of the May 30 presidential primary, violated the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution and the commission’s Guidelines for Political Parties.
He also sought a declaration that the party’s refusal to forward his name amounted to a breach of Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of the INEC guidelines governing candidate nominations.
As part of the reliefs sought, Olawepo-Hashim asked the court to compel the Accord Party to submit his name to INEC or, alternatively, order the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, the Accord Party chieftain stated that he is a registered and financially up-to-date member of the party.
He claimed to have contributed N7 million towards the party’s electronic membership registration and paid N50 million as the nomination fee for the presidential primary.
He further maintained that he was the only aspirant, emerged victorious in a primary he alleged was monitored by INEC officials, and accused the party of failing to forward his name to the electoral commission.
Akunebu argued that political parties are legally bound by the Electoral Act, their constitutions and INEC guidelines in the nomination of candidates.
He submitted that once a valid primary is conducted, the party has a statutory obligation to submit the winner’s name to INEC, urging the court to uphold the principles of internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought by his client.