2027: Olawepo-Hashim dragged Accord Party, INEC to court over presidential ticket

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 14, 2026, to hear a suit filed by Accord Party chieftain, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who is asking the court to order the party to recognise him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Olawepo-Hashim sued the Accord Party and INEC, arguing that the party failed to upload his name to the electoral commission’s nomination portal despite his emergence as the sole winner of the party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026.

In the suit, he asked the court to determine whether the party acted against the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution and INEC’s guidelines by refusing to submit his name after the primary election.

He is seeking an order directing the Accord Party to forward his name to INEC. As an alternative request, he asked the court to order the party to organise another presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate if his first request is not granted.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the case, Olawepo-Hashim said he is a registered and financial member of the Accord Party. He stated that he funded the party’s electronic membership registration with ₦7 million and also paid the required ₦50 million nomination fee to contest the presidential ticket.

He maintained that he was the only aspirant in the primary election and emerged as the winner in an exercise he said was monitored by INEC officials in line with the Electoral Act. He also claimed the party failed to provide aspirants with guidelines for the primary as required by INEC regulations but that he continued with the process based on assurances from the party’s leadership.

His lawyer, Henry Akunebu (SAN), argued that political parties are required by law to follow the Electoral Act, their constitutions and INEC guidelines when choosing candidates. He urged the court to compel the Accord Party to comply with the law by submitting his client’s name to the electoral commission.

During Thursday’s proceedings, INEC’s lawyer, H.S. Danjuma, requested more time to file the commission’s response, explaining that the legal team received instructions on July 6. Justice Mohammed Umar granted the application and accepted the commission’s memorandum of appearance as properly filed.

Although the Accord Party did not oppose the request for an adjournment, Olawepo-Hashim’s lawyer asked the court to prevent INEC from taking further part in the matter, arguing that the commission failed to respond within the period allowed under the Practice Directions for pre-election cases.

Justice Umar ruled that the matter should proceed to substantive hearing and adjourned the case until July 14, 2026. The outcome of the case is expected to clarify the application of the Electoral Act 2026 in disputes involving the nomination of presidential candidates by political parties ahead of the 2027 general election.