Court To INEC: Olawepo Is Accord Party Presidential Candidate

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party for the 2027 general election.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, in a judgment delivered in a suit filed by Olawepo-Hashim against Accord Party and INEC, directed the party to submit his name to the electoral commission in line with Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026.
The court held that the provision was violated when Accord Party allegedly failed to forward Olawepo-Hashim’s name to INEC after he emerged as the sole aspirant at the party’s May 30 presidential primary.
Accord Party had denied conducting the primary. However, Justice Umar rejected the claim, citing evidence that the party accepted N50 million paid by Olawepo-Hashim for the expression of interest and nomination forms.
The judge also noted contradictions in the party’s submissions regarding the disputed primary.
Olawepo-Hashim, through his counsel, Henry Akunebu (SAN), had asked the court to compel Accord Party to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal and direct the electoral body to accept his nomination.
Akunebu also challenged the authenticity of documents tendered by the party and INEC, particularly a letter purportedly cancelling the presidential primary. He argued that the document did not bear the party’s official stamp and was addressed to the INEC chairman but received by an unnamed national commissioner.
In his affidavit, Olawepo-Hashim said he was a registered and financially committed member of Accord Party, adding that he contributed N7 million towards the party’s electronic membership registration and paid N50 million as nomination fees.
He maintained that he emerged as the sole aspirant at the May 30 presidential primary, which he said was monitored by INEC officials, but that the party subsequently failed to forward his name to the electoral commission.