By Bimbo Akinrenle
Hundreds of supporters of Accord Party presidential hopeful, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, on Thursday thronged the Federal High Court in Abuja as he began a legal battle to be recognised as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The large crowd, made up of party members, women, youths, and political associates from different parts of the country, filled the court premises and caused heavy movement around the complex as they waited to show support for the politician.
Hashim is asking the court to order the Accord Party to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
In the suit filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Accord Party and INEC are listed as the first and second defendants. He told the court that he emerged as the only aspirant and winner of the party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026, but alleged that the party refused to forward his name to INEC despite his victory.
Hashim argued that the party’s action violated the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s guidelines for the nomination of candidates. He asked the court to declare that the party acted unlawfully by failing to submit his name to the electoral commission and to order the immediate upload of his name to INEC’s nomination portal.
As an alternative, he urged the court to direct the Accord Party to conduct another presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate if the court refuses to compel the party to submit his name.
In an affidavit before the court, Hashim said he is a registered and financially up-to-date member of the Accord Party. He claimed he spent N7 million to support the party’s electronic membership registration exercise and also paid N50 million as the official nomination fee to contest the presidential primary.
According to him, INEC officials monitored the primary election in line with the Electoral Act before he emerged as the winner. He alleged that the party failed to provide aspirants with guidelines for the conduct of the primary as required by INEC but said he continued with the process based on assurances from the party leadership.
His lawyer, Henry Akunebu (SAN), argued that political parties are bound by law to obey the Electoral Act, their constitutions, and INEC regulations when selecting candidates. He maintained that once a valid primary election produces a winner, the party has a legal duty to submit that person’s name to INEC.
During Thursday’s proceedings, counsel to INEC asked the court for more time to respond to the suit. The Accord Party’s lawyer supported the request, but Hashim’s counsel opposed it and urged the court to continue with the hearing.
After listening to all parties, the presiding judge granted the request and adjourned the case to July 14, 2026, for hearing.
The case is expected to determine whether the Accord Party complied with the Electoral Act in handling its presidential primary ahead of the 2027 general election.
