By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload the name of Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the candidate of the Accord Party (AP) for the 2027 presidential election.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, also directed the Accord Party to recognize the plaintiff as its flag bearer for the presidential poll, having met all the requirements stipulated in Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026
It held that the refusal to submit the name of the plaintiff, who won the Accord Party’s ticket at a primary election held on May 30, amounted to a gross violation of the electoral law
Even though the political party maintained that it never conducted any primary poll that led to the emergence of Dr Olawepo-Hashim as the sole contestant, Justice Umar held that evidence before the court established that the plaintiff paid ₦50 million for expression of interest and nomination forms, which was accepted from him.
The court held that the processes the party filed before it contained contradictory averments that were untenable in law
It will be recalled that the plaintiff, through his team of lawyers led by Mr Henry Akunebu, SAN, had urged the court to direct the Accord Party to immediately forward his name to INEC to be acknowledged as a presidential candidate.
He challenged the credibility of documents exhibited by the party and INEC, particularly a letter purportedly cancelling the primary election that produced him
According to the plaintiff, the documents not only lacked the party’s official stamp but were also addressed to the INEC chairman yet received by an unnamed national commissioner
He also challenged the authenticity of a computer-generated membership register of the party that was tendered as an exhibit, contending that it was not accompanied by a certificate of compliance as required by law
He told the court that at no time did the party cancel the primary electionHowever, both INEC and the Accord Party urged the court to dismiss the suit for want of merit.
The party, through its lawyer, Mr T. W. Olusesi, maintained that its primaries were validly cancelled after no candidate showed up or purchased nomination forms.
The party further told the court that INEC did not monitor the primaries because they had already been cancelled
For its part, INEC’s legal team, led by D J. Gusen, urged the court to dismiss the suit.
The commission said it did not monitor the said primary election, given that the exercise had been cancelled by the party
The Accord Party was listed as the first defendant in the matter, while INEC was sued as the second defendant
Dr Olawepo-Hashim, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1263/2026, had prayed the court to compel the Accord Party to forward his name to INEC and to direct the commission to recognize him as a duly nominated candidate for the presidential poll.
He asked the court to determine whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite his emergence as the sole winner of its presidential primary on May 30, 2026, violated the Electoral Act 2026, the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and INEC’s guidelines for political parties
He sought a declaration that the party’s refusal to forward his name breached Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and (2) of the electoral guidelines on candidate nomination, as well as an order directing the Accord Party to upload and submit his name to INEC
In the alternative, the plaintiff asked the court to direct the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would participate, should the court decline to order submission of his name
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, the plaintiff described himself as a registered and financial member of the Accord Party
He told the court that he sponsored the party’s electronic membership drive with a payment of ₦7 million
According to the plaintiff, he also paid the prescribed ₦50 million nomination fee to contest the presidential primary, emerging as the sole aspirant and winner of the exercise, which he said was monitored by INEC officials in line with the Electoral Act
He alleged that despite his victory, the party failed to submit his name to INEC and had not issued guidelines to aspirants for the primary as required by INEC regulations, although he proceeded on the strength of assurances he said were given by the party’s national leadership
Counsel to the plaintiff, Akunebu, SAN, argued that political parties are legally bound to comply with the Electoral Act, their constitutions, and INEC’s guidelines in nominating candidates
He maintained that a party which conducts a valid primary is statutorily obligated to submit the winner’s name to INEC