Breaking: Court Affirms Gbenga Hashim as Accord Party Presidential Candidate

• Orders Party to Upload Name on INEC Portal

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party for the 2027 presidential election.

The court’s declaration on Monday brings a major legal dispute over the party’s presidential ticket to a decisive conclusion.

Justice Mohammed Umar, in his judgment, dismissed the preliminary objections filed against Hashim’s suit and rejected the purported letter relied upon to communicate the cancellation of the party’s presidential primary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court also ordered the Accord Party to upload Hashim’s name to INEC as its presidential candidate, effectively recognising his emergence from the party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026.

Hashim had approached the court seeking recognition as the duly nominated presidential candidate of the Accord Party. He maintained that he was the sole aspirant and winner of the May 30, 2026, primary.

His case was argued by Henry Akunebu, SAN, who urged the court to compel the party to recognise Hashim and forward his name to INEC.

Akunebu challenged the validity and evidential value of documents relied upon to dispute Hashim’s emergence, particularly a purported letter notifying INEC of the cancellation of the presidential primary.

He argued that the alleged cancellation letter lacked the party’s official stamp and imprimatur and questioned the circumstances surrounding its receipt by INEC.

The Accord Party’s position was represented by T.W. Olusesi, who maintained that the presidential primary had been cancelled and that no valid primary produced Hashim as the party’s candidate.

Counsel for INEC, D.J. Gusen, similarly argued that the commission did not monitor the purported primary because it had received notification that the exercise had been cancelled.

Justice Umar, however, dismissed the preliminary objections and rejected the purported cancellation letter, paving the way for the court to recognise the outcome of the May 30 primary.

The judgment follows months of legal contest over the Accord Party’s presidential ticket and the party’s failure to submit Hashim’s name to INEC, despite his claim that he had emerged as the winner of the primary.

Hashim had argued that the party’s refusal to upload his name violated the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and relevant INEC regulations and guidelines governing the nomination of political party candidates.

In his originating summons, he asked the court to determine whether the Accord Party could validly refuse to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal after the conduct of a primary in which he emerged as the winner.

He had also sought, in the alternative, an order directing the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.

Hashim maintained throughout the proceedings that he was a registered and financially compliant member of the Accord Party, had paid the prescribed ₦50 million presidential nomination fee, and contributed ₦7 million towards the party’s electronic membership registration programme.

He also maintained that INEC officials monitored the May 30 primary at which he emerged as the sole aspirant.

In his reaction to the ruling, Hashim dedicated the victory to God and called for reconciliation among stakeholders and party members.

“I give God the glory for this victory. I dedicate the victory also to all stakeholders, our dear party members, and my hardworking legal team. We are grateful to the judiciary, which has done justice on this matter.

“We won’t leave anybody behind. We should all come together and work for the party’s victory in the January 16, 2027, presidential election and all other elections. The march to a New Nigeria has started,” Hashim said.

The order provides a judicial resolution to the immediate dispute over the party’s presidential nomination and places Hashim’s candidacy on the official electoral process.