The Federal High Court in Abuja was filled with supporters of Accord Party presidential aspirant, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, on Thursday as he formally began legal action to challenge the party’s refusal to recognise him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Hundreds of party members, youth groups, women, and political associates from across the country gathered at the court premises to show solidarity with the presidential hopeful, causing heavy human traffic around the court complex.
Hashim is seeking an order compelling the Accord Party to recognise him as its presidential candidate and submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the suit filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Accord Party and INEC were named as the first and second defendants respectively.
The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal after he emerged as the sole winner of the Accord Party presidential primary conducted on May 30, 2026, contravenes the Electoral Act, 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Hashim is also seeking a declaration that the party’s refusal to submit his name violates Section 86 of the Electoral Act, 2026, as well as Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of the electoral guidelines governing the nomination of candidates.
He urged the court to compel the Accord Party to upload and forward his name to INEC as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Alternatively, he asked the court to order the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would participate if it declines to compel the submission of his name.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Hashim stated that he is a registered and financial member of the Accord Party. He claimed to have sponsored the party’s electronic membership registration exercise with ₦7 million and paid ₦50 million as the prescribed nomination fee for the presidential primary.
According to him, he was the sole aspirant in the primary election held on May 30, 2026, and emerged victorious in an exercise monitored by INEC officials in line with the Electoral Act.
Hashim alleged that despite winning the primary, the Accord Party failed to submit his name to INEC as its presidential candidate.
He further claimed that the party did not provide aspirants with guidelines for the conduct of the presidential primary as required by INEC regulations but said he relied on assurances from the party’s national leadership before participating in the exercise.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Henry Akunebu (SAN), argued that political parties are legally bound to comply with the Electoral Act, their constitutions, and INEC guidelines in the nomination of candidates.
He maintained that once a valid primary election is conducted and a winner emerges, the party has a statutory duty to submit the winner’s name to INEC and cannot arbitrarily deny the successful aspirant the benefits of the democratic process.
Akunebu urged the court to uphold the principles of internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.
During Thursday’s proceedings, counsel for INEC requested an adjournment to enable the commission file its response to the suit. Counsel representing the Accord Party supported the application.
However, Akunebu opposed the request and urged the court to proceed with the hearing.
After listening to all parties, the presiding judge granted the adjournment and fixed Tuesday, July 14, 2026, for the hearing of the substantive suit.
The case is expected to test the interpretation of the Electoral Act, 2026, and further define the role of the judiciary in safeguarding internal party democracy ahead of the 2027 general election.