{
  "id": 17827393,
  "title": "Accord asks court to dismiss suit seeking candidates’ disqualification",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/accord-asks-court-to-dismiss-suit-seeking-candidates-disqualification-17827393",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T17:23:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/accord-asks-court-to-dismiss-suit-seeking-candidates-disqualification/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Accord Party has requested a Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at disqualifying all its candidates for the 2027 general elections, labeling the claim as incompetent, statute-barred, and premature. The suit, filed on October 21, 2026, was initiated by the party’s National Secretary, Adebukola Ajaja, against the party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, and National Organising Secretary, Ibe Kenechukwu ThankGod, alleging that they usurped her responsibilities in submitting the party’s candidate list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Ajaja argued that the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and INEC’s regulations required the National Chairman and Secretary to jointly sign and submit the documents. However, the Accord Party contested the suit's timing, claiming it was filed outside the 14-day legal window and lacked jurisdiction as the issues were internal party matters. They also questioned Ajaja's eligibility to bring the action, as she was not an aspirant in the primary election held on May 29, 2026. The party further argued that the suit was improper due to the absence of necessary parties and was premature because Ajaja allegedly failed to serve a 21-day pre-action notice. The party maintained that its primary election was conducted in accordance with laws and guidelines, and INEC recognized the proceedings. The party defended the authority of its National Chairman and Organising Secretary to sign and submit the candidates’ lists without the National Secretary's involvement, citing their constitutional provisions and INEC's guidelines. They argued that the plaintiff's case would still fail even if the National Chairman alone signed the forwarding letter, as per the Supreme Court's decision in Jegede v. INEC. The party's National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, accused Ajaja of abandoning her duties and mishandling the party’s finances, claiming she attended fewer than three consecutive National Working Committee meetings.",
  "summary": "The Accord Party has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking the disqualification of all its candidates for the 2027 general elections, describing the action as incompetent, statute-barred and premature. Read More: https://punchng.com/accord-asks-court-to-dismiss-suit-seeking-candidates-disqualification/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}