Court Verdict on Olawepo-Hashim Candidacy Setback for Adeleke-Aligned Faction, Says Accord Party Chieftain

An Accord Party chieftain in Lagos State, Jagunmolu Moses, has described the Federal High Court ruling directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate as a major setback for the faction aligned with Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Moses, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, said the judgment undermined the faction’s strategic decision not to field a presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

Last Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, ordered Accord Party and INEC to recognise Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

The court directed the party to submit Olawepo-Hashim’s name to INEC in accordance with Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026, mandating the commission to accept his nomination.

Justice Umar held that Section 86 of the Electoral Act had been flagrantly violated by the refusal to submit the plaintiff’s name to INEC after he emerged victorious in the party’s May 30 primary election as the sole aspirant.

Reacting to the judgment, Moses said the earlier decision to leave the party’s presidential ticket vacant had been widely interpreted in political circles as a calculated move to support President Bola Tinubu.

“The recent judgment directing INEC to recognise and upload Hashim Olawepo as the presidential candidate of Accord has raised serious political and legal questions about the events surrounding our 2027 presidential ticket,” he said.

Moses explained that Olawepo-Hashim, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) joined Accord through the Maxwell-Adeleke faction to pursue the party’s presidential nomination.

He added that following the primary election, Olawepo-Hashim secured a court order affirming his mandate after the faction initially failed to submit any candidate to INEC.

The Accord chieftain questioned whether the decision to withhold the presidential ticket was linked to unspoken expectations of political reciprocity, particularly in relation to the forthcoming Osun governorship election.

“If the Adeleke-aligned faction genuinely decided to support President Tinubu by fielding no presidential candidate, then the emergence of Hashim Olawepo through the courts represents a major political and legal complication.

“If the faction believes the judgment is wrong, it has the right to appeal and pursue every lawful remedy available.

“But if it chooses not to appeal, then Nigerians will understandably ask questions about the political calculations behind its earlier decision,” Moses said.

He also highlighted what he described as several structural risks facing Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections, including the party’s litigation strategy.

Moses questioned whether the Adeleke-aligned faction adequately defended its position in court, suggesting that the outcome could point to shortcomings in its legal approach or an unexpected shift in its political calculations.

He further noted that the leadership crisis within Accord remained unresolved, with competing claims involving the Mgbudem faction and the Prof. Chris Imumolen faction still awaiting final judicial determination.

The party chieftain, however, maintained that although further legal appeals could determine the ultimate status of the presidential ticket, the political consequences of the faction’s strategy would become clearer with time.