Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja witnessed an overwhelming turnout on Thursday as hundreds of supporters of Accord Party presidential hopeful, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, gathered in solidarity while he formally commenced legal proceedings to reclaim what he described as his lawfully earned presidential mandate.
The large crowd, made up of party members, youth groups, women, and political associates from different parts of the country, filled the court premises and surrounding areas, making movement around the court complex slow and difficult as supporters waited to demonstrate their backing for the presidential hopeful.
Olawepo-Hashim had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order compelling the Accord Party to recognise him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and transmit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In an Originating Summons filed before the court, Olawepo-Hashim named Accord Party and INEC as the first and second defendants, respectively.
The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite his emergence as the sole winner of the Accord Party presidential primary held on May 30, 2026, violates the Electoral Act, 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Olawepo-Hashim is also seeking a declaration that the party’s refusal to forward his name to INEC amounts to a breach of Section 86 of the Electoral Act, 2026, as well as Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of the electoral guidelines governing the nomination of candidates.
He is asking the court to order Accord Party to upload and submit his name to INEC as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Alternatively, the plaintiff is asking the court to direct the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would participate should the court decline to order the submission of his name.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Olawepo-Hashim stated that he was a registered and financial member of Accord Party and sponsored the party’s electronic membership drive with a payment of N7 million.
He further stated that he paid N50 million as the prescribed nomination fee to contest the party’s presidential primary and emerged as the sole aspirant and winner of the exercise conducted on May 30, 2026.
He said the primary election was monitored by officials of INEC in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Olawepo-Hashim alleged that despite his victory, Accord Party failed to submit his name to the electoral commission as its presidential candidate.
He also claimed that the party did not provide aspirants with guidelines for the conduct of the presidential primary, contrary to INEC’s regulations, but said he proceeded with the process based on assurances allegedly given by the party’s national leadership.
In the written address filed in support of the suit, counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Henry Akunebu (SAN), argued that political parties were legally bound to comply with the Electoral Act, their constitutions, and INEC’s guidelines in the nomination of candidates.
Akunebu contended that once a political party conducted a valid primary election and produced a winner, it had a statutory obligation to submit the name of that winner to INEC and could not act arbitrarily to deny the successful aspirant the benefits of the democratic process.
The plaintiff urged the court to uphold the principles of internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought in the suit.
At Thursday’s proceedings before Court 5 on the fourth floor of the Federal High Court, counsel representing INEC applied for an adjournment to enable the commission respond to the suit.
Counsel for Accord Party aligned with the application and also supported the request for an adjournment.
However, counsel to Olawepo-Hashim, Akunebu, opposed the application and urged the court to proceed with the hearing.
After hearing all parties, the presiding judge granted the application for adjournment and fixed Tuesday, July 14, 2026, for hearing of the substantive suit.
The case is expected to test the application of the Electoral Act, 2026, and reinforce judicial scrutiny of internal party democracy ahead of the 2027 general election.