Key Takeaways
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has delayed the hearing of a case involving Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim and the Accord Party.
- Dr. Olawepo-Hashim is seeking to compel INEC to recognise him as the Accord Party's candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
- The case has been adjourned until Wednesday to allow the plaintiff's counsel to respond to processes served by INEC.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has deferred until Wednesday the hearing of a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as candidate of the Accord Party (AP) for the 2027 presidential election. This decision was made after counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Henry Akunebu, SAN, notified the court of processes INEC served on him and requested time to respond.
Dr. Olawepo-Hashim had, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1263/2026, prayed the court to compel Accord Party to forward his name to INEC and for the commission to recognise him as a duly nominated candidate for the presidential poll. He is urging the court to determine whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite his emerging as sole winner of its presidential primary on May 30, 2026, was not in violation of the Electoral Act 2026, the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and INEC’s guidelines for political parties.
Background of the Case
According to the plaintiff, he 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 that it had not issued aspirants with guidelines for the primary as required by INEC regulations, though 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. Akunebu, SAN, urged the court to uphold internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs his client is seeking.
Why This Matters
The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the 2027 presidential election and the democratic process in Nigeria. The court's decision will determine whether Dr. Olawepo-Hashim's name will be recognised by INEC as the Accord Party's candidate, potentially affecting the election's outcome.