The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in a suit filed by Accord Party chieftain, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, seeking recognition as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Justice Mohammed Umar reserved judgment on Wednesday after lawyers representing Olawepo-Hashim, Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission adopted their final written addresses.
The judge said the date for judgment would be communicated to the parties.
Olawepo-Hashim is asking the court to compel Accord Party to immediately upload and submit his name to INEC as its presidential candidate and direct the electoral commission to recognise and accept his nomination.
Olawepo-Hashim’s counsel, Henry Akunebu, SAN, urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought by his client, insisting that the party conducted a valid presidential primary on May 30, 2026.
Akunebu challenged the authenticity of documents tendered by Accord Party and INEC, particularly a letter purportedly notifying the electoral commission that the presidential primary had been cancelled.
He argued that the disputed letter did not carry Accord Party’s official stamp and was addressed to the INEC Chairman but allegedly received by an unnamed national commissioner.
The senior lawyer asked the court to reject the exhibits, alleging that they were fabricated during the proceedings to support the defendants’ case.
He also challenged the party’s computer-generated membership register, arguing that it was tendered without the certificate of compliance required for electronically generated evidence.
Akunebu maintained that the presidential primary was never validly cancelled and that INEC officials monitored the exercise at which Olawepo-Hashim allegedly emerged as the party’s sole aspirant and winner.
He argued that political parties were bound by the Electoral Act, their constitutions and INEC’s guidelines when nominating candidates.
According to him, once a party conducts a valid primary, it has a statutory obligation to submit the winner’s name to the electoral commission.
Counsel for Accord Party, T.W. Olusesi, urged the court to dismiss the suit, maintaining that the presidential primary was cancelled because no aspirant purchased nomination forms or presented himself for the exercise.
Olusesi argued that INEC did not monitor any presidential primary because the party had already notified the commission of its cancellation.
INEC’s counsel, D.J. Gusen, adopted a similar position, telling the court that the commission received a letter through one of its national commissioners notifying it that the exercise had been cancelled.
Gusen consequently urged the court to dismiss Olawepo-Hashim’s claims.
In the originating summons, Olawepo-Hashim asked the court to determine whether Accord Party’s alleged refusal to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite his emergence at the May 30 primary, violated the Constitution, Electoral Act 2026 and INEC Guidelines for Political Parties.
He is seeking a declaration that the party’s failure to submit his name breached Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of INEC’s guidelines on the nomination of candidates.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Olawepo-Hashim said he was a registered and financially up-to-date member of Accord Party.
He claimed that he provided ₦7 million to fund the party’s electronic membership registration and paid ₦50 million as the prescribed fee to contest its presidential primary.
The plaintiff maintained that he emerged as the sole aspirant and winner of the exercise allegedly conducted on May 30, 2026, but accused the party of refusing to forward his name to INEC.
He asked the court to order Accord Party to submit his name and particulars to the electoral commission.
Alternatively, Olawepo-Hashim prayed the court to direct the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.
His counsel urged the court to uphold internal party democracy by granting the reliefs sought and compelling both Accord Party and INEC to recognise the outcome of the disputed primary.
The court will communicate the judgment date to the parties.
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