Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order in a judgment delivered on Monday, October 5, 2026, following a suit filed by Hashim against Accord and INEC.
The court directed Accord to submit Hashim’s name to INEC for uploading on the commission’s nomination portal in line with Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026.
Justice Umar held that the provision was violated when the party failed to forward Hashim’s name to INEC after he emerged from its May 30 presidential primary as the sole aspirant.
Accord had argued that no valid presidential primary was conducted. However, the court rejected the position, pointing to evidence that the party accepted N50 million from Hashim for expression of interest and nomination forms.
Hashim had approached the court after the party failed to submit his name to INEC despite his claim that he emerged as the winner of the May 30 primary.
Through his lawyer, Henry Akunebu, SAN, Hashim asked the court to compel Accord to recognise him and forward his name to INEC as its presidential candidate. He alternatively sought an order directing the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he could participate.
A major issue before the court was a purported letter notifying INEC that Accord’s presidential primary had been cancelled. Hashim’s legal team challenged the authenticity of the document, arguing that it did not bear the party’s official stamp and questioned how it was received by INEC.
The court consequently dismissed the objections raised against Hashim’s suit and affirmed his emergence as Accord’s presidential candidate.
Following the judgment, Hashim called for reconciliation among members of the party, urging stakeholders to close ranks and work together ahead of the 2027 election.
“We won’t leave anybody behind. We should all come together and work for the party’s victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential election and all other elections. The march to a New Nigeria has started,” he said.
The ruling resolves, at least at the Federal High Court level, the dispute over Accord’s presidential ticket after months of uncertainty over whether Hashim’s name would appear on the ballot.
