The Accord Party has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking to nullify the nomination of all its candidates for the 2027 general elections. The party argues that the case was filed outside the statutory time limit and that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain it. The suit was filed by Adebukola Ajaja, the party's National Secretary, who is challenging the nomination of the party's candidates.
The Accord Party, the second defendant in the suit, challenged the competence of the action filed by Ajaja on the grounds that it was instituted outside the 14-day period prescribed by law for pre-election matters. The party's counsel, Musibau Adetunbi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, filed a preliminary objection marked FHC/ABJ/CV/2524/2026. The party also challenged Ajaja's locus standi, arguing that she was not an aspirant in the party's primary election held on May 29.
The party further argued that the suit was defective because the candidates whose nominations the plaintiff seeks to nullify were not joined as parties. According to Adetunbi, any decision on the validity of their nominations would directly affect them, making their inclusion necessary to ensure they have an opportunity to defend their interests. The party also described the suit as premature, alleging that the plaintiff failed to serve the required 21-day pre-action notice before commencing the proceedings.
On the substance of the dispute, Accord maintained that its May 29 primary election was conducted in compliance with relevant laws and guidelines. The party said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had recognised the exercise and received the list of candidates submitted by the party. A key issue in the suit is the authority to sign and forward the party's candidates' nomination documents to INEC.
Ajaja had challenged the involvement of the National Organising Secretary, alleging that her responsibilities as National Secretary had been taken over. Accord, however, argued that its National Chairman and National Organising Secretary could jointly sign and submit the candidates' lists and nomination documents where the National Secretary was unavailable. The party relied on Article 18 of its constitution and Regulations 25(3) and 28(2) of INEC's Guidelines for Political Parties.
In a counter-affidavit, Maxwell Mgbudem, the party's National Chairman, denied the allegation that the National Organising Secretary had taken over Ajaja's responsibilities. He instead accused the National Secretary of abandoning her duties and failing to attend meetings of the National Working Committee. Mgbudem said Ajaja had missed three consecutive meetings of the committee, which comprises the party's national executive officers.
Mgbudem told the court that the National Working Committee, at a meeting on May 24, resolved that he and Ibe ThankGod, the National Organising Secretary, should jointly sign the forwarding letter containing the names of successful aspirants. He said the two officials subsequently forwarded the names of successful candidates electronically to INEC after the party concluded its primaries for all contested elective positions, except the presidential election, for which it did not conduct a primary.
Key points
- The Accord Party seeks dismissal of a suit filed by its National Secretary, Adebukola Ajaja, to nullify the nomination of its 2027 general election candidates.
- The party argues that the suit was filed outside the statutory time limit and that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain it.
- The suit centres on the authority to sign and forward the party's candidates' nomination documents to INEC.
