The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the Accord Party's presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. Justice Mohammed Umar delivered the judgement on Monday, October 5, 2026, and held that Olawepo-Hashim emerged as the party's sole presidential candidate at a primary election conducted on May 30, 2026. The court rejected the party's position that Olawepo-Hashim did not emerge from a valid presidential primary.
According to the court, there was sufficient evidence showing that Olawepo-Hashim was the party's sole candidate after the primary election. The judge directed Accord Party to immediately recognise Olawepo-Hashim as its presidential candidate and forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for uploading on its nomination portal. The court also faulted the party for refusing to recognise Olawepo-Hashim after collecting N50 million from him for the expression of interest and nomination forms.
The dispute between Olawepo-Hashim and the Accord Party began after the May 30 presidential primary, where Olawepo-Hashim claimed to have emerged as the party's sole candidate. However, the party disputed his claim and refused to recognise him as its presidential candidate, leading to a legal battle over the validity of the primary and the party's obligation to transmit his name to INEC. Olawepo-Hashim had approached the Federal High Court in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1268/2026, suing Accord Party and INEC as the first and second defendants respectively.
In the suit, Olawepo-Hashim asked the court to compel Accord to recognise him as its validly nominated presidential candidate and forward his name to INEC ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The court, after considering the evidence and arguments presented by the parties, found in favour of Olawepo-Hashim. Justice Umar's ruling places a direct obligation on Accord to recognise him and take the necessary steps to formalise his candidacy before the electoral commission.
The judgement was delivered against the backdrop of a dispute between Olawepo-Hashim and the party over the validity of the purported presidential primary and his status as Accord's candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Olawepo-Hashim was represented by his lawyer, Henry Akunaebu, SAN. The court found that having collected the prescribed fees from Olawepo-Hashim, it was wrong for the party to subsequently refuse to recognise him as the candidate produced by the primary process and transmit his name to INEC.
The Federal High Court's decision is a significant development in the run-up to the 2027 general election. The court's affirmation of Olawepo-Hashim as the Accord Party's presidential candidate will likely have implications for the party's campaign and the electoral process as a whole. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will now be required to upload Olawepo-Hashim's details on its portal as the Accord Party's presidential candidate.
The Accord Party's failure to recognise Olawepo-Hashim as its presidential candidate despite collecting N50 million from him was a major point of contention in the court case. The court's ruling has now resolved the dispute in favour of Olawepo-Hashim, who can now proceed with his campaign as the Accord Party's presidential candidate. The 2027 general election is expected to be a closely contested poll, and the court's decision will likely have a significant impact on the electoral process.
Key points
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the Accord Party's presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
- The court rejected the party's position that Olawepo-Hashim did not emerge from a valid presidential primary.
- The Accord Party had collected N50 million from Olawepo-Hashim for the expression of interest and nomination forms but refused to recognise him as its presidential candidate.
