The Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in a suit filed by Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim seeking an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him as the Accord Party's presidential candidate for the 2027 election.



The case came up on Wednesday before Justice Mohammed Umar after lawyers representing Olawepo-Hashim, the Accord Party and INEC adopted their final written addresses. After hearing all the parties, the judge announced that a date for the judgment would be communicated later.

Olawepo-Hashim, through his lawyer, Henry Akunebu (SAN), asked the court to compel the Accord Party to submit his name to INEC as its presidential candidate.

 He argued that documents relied on by the party and the electoral commission should not be accepted because they were not reliable.

According to the plaintiff, one of the documents presented by the defendants claimed that the party cancelled the presidential primary that produced him. He argued that the letter had no official party stamp and was addressed to the INEC chairman but was received by an unnamed national commissioner.

 He maintained that the document was prepared to stop him from contesting the presidential election and should not be accepted by the court.

He also challenged the membership register presented by the Accord Party, arguing that the computer-generated document did not meet the legal requirements for electronic evidence because it was not accompanied by the required certificate. He insisted that the party never cancelled the presidential primary in which he emerged as the winner.

The Accord Party, through its lawyer, T. W. Olusesi, asked the court to dismiss the suit. The party argued that the presidential primary was cancelled because no aspirant purchased nomination forms or appeared for the exercise.

 It also maintained that INEC did not monitor the exercise because it had already been informed that the primary had been cancelled.

INEC also urged the court to reject the case. The commission, represented by its legal team led by D. J. Gusen, maintained that it did not monitor the presidential primary after receiving notice from the Accord Party that the exercise had been cancelled.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1263/2026, seeks an order directing the Accord Party to submit Olawepo-Hashim's name to INEC and for the electoral commission to accept him as the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Olawepo-Hashim is asking the court to determine whether the party acted against the Electoral Act 2026, the 1999 Constitution as amended and INEC regulations by refusing to upload his name after he emerged as the only winner of the party's presidential primary held on May 30, 2026.

He is also seeking a declaration that the party violated Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC's guidelines on candidate nomination by refusing to submit his name. 

He further asked the court to direct the party to upload his details to INEC without delay.

As an alternative, the plaintiff requested an order directing the Accord Party to conduct another presidential primary that would allow him to contest if the court declines to order the submission of his name.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, Olawepo-Hashim stated that he is a registered and financially active member of the Accord Party. 

He claimed that he spent ₦7 million to fund the party's electronic membership registration and paid the ₦50 million nomination fee required to contest the presidential primary.

He told the court that he was the only aspirant and emerged as the winner of the primary, which he said was monitored by INEC officials. 

He also alleged that despite his victory, the party failed to submit his name to the electoral commission and did not provide aspirants with the required nomination guidelines before the exercise, although he participated based on assurances from the party's leadership.

His lawyer argued that political parties are legally required to follow the Electoral Act, their constitutions and INEC regulations during the nomination of candidates. 

He maintained that once a valid primary produces a winner, the party has a legal obligation to submit that person's name to the electoral commission.