A federal high court in Abuja has declared Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the authentic presidential candidate of Accord Party for the forthcoming 2027 elections.

The court therefore ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him on the ballot.

In a ruling delivered on Monday, Mohammed Umar, the presiding judge, said section 86 of the Electoral Act, which dictates direct primary as the mode of conducting party primary elections, was violated by the party’s refusal to submit Olawepo-Hashim’s name to the electoral umpire.

The judge dismissed Accord’s claim that no primary election was held, citing evidence that Olawepo-Hashim paid N50 million for the expression of interest and nomination forms, which the party accepted.

Olawepo-Hashim had approached the court over Accord’s failure to submit his name through INEC’s nomination portal, arguing that he emerged unopposed at the party’s May 30 presidential primary.

He asked the court to determine whether the party’s action breached the Electoral Act 2026, the constitution and INEC’s guidelines for political parties.

Olawepo-Hashim told the court that he is a registered and financially active member of the party, adding that he contributed N7 million towards its electronic membership registration and paid N50 million for the presidential nomination form.

In May, Olawepo-Hashim had announced his intention to run for president on Accord’s platform.

Days later, he was reportedly declared the winner of the party’s nationwide presidential primary election. Olawepo-Hashim was said to have polled a total of 423,902 votes as a sole contestant.

However, Maxwell Mgbudem, Accord national chairman, dismissed the claim, saying the party did not hold a presidential primary, noting that reports portraying Olawepo-Hashim as its standard-bearer for the 2027 elections were false.

He said the party’s presidential primary was cancelled because no aspirant purchased expression of interest and nomination forms for the office of president before the deadline.

Mgbudem said INEC was duly informed that the party didn’t conduct a presidential primary to nominate a candidate for the upcoming general election.

He said Olawepo-Hashim wrote to the party on May 26, expressing interest in contesting the presidency after the approved timeline for the nomination process had expired, adding that the application was not processed.

Mgbudem said the absence of other aspirants cannot confer “automatic entitlement” on Olawepo-Hashim.

The party chairman said Olawepo-Hashim later paid N10 million and N40 million into Accord’s bank account for the expression of interest and nomination forms, respectively, after the period for purchasing forms and screening aspirants had elapsed.

Mgbudem said the party instructed its bank to reverse the payments to the originating financial institution.

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