Court orders INEC to recognise Olawepo-Hashim’s as Accord Party presidential candidate

The Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to promptly include Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the Accord Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. The court's decision followed a ruling against the party and INEC, which held that they violated section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 by refusing to accept the plaintiff's name following his victory in the May 30 presidential primary.

The court dismissed the party's claim of no primary election, citing evidence that Olawepo-Hashim paid N50 million for nomination forms and that they were accepted. The judge found the party's arguments about the disputed primary election to be contradictory and implausible. Olawepo-Hashim's legal team urged the court to direct the Accord Party to submit his name to INEC's nomination portal and compel the electoral body to recognize and accept the nomination.

The lawyer challenged the authenticity of documents provided by the party and INEC, arguing that they lacked official stamps and were addressed to the wrong recipient. The plaintiff sought a court order to determine if the party's refusal to upload his name breached the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s guidelines for political party candidate nomination.