Olawepo-Hashim sues Accord Party, INEC over presidential ticket

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Thursday, fixed July 14 for the substantive hearing of a suit filed by an Accord Party (AP) chieftain, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, seeking an order compelling the party to recognise him as its presidential candidate.

AP and INEC were listed as first and second defendants in the originating summons, where he is asking the court to determine whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite emerging as sole winner of the party’s presidential primary on May 30, 2026, violates the Electoral Act 2026, the constitution, and INEC’s guidelines for political parties.

Hashim is seeking a declaration that the party’s refusal to forward his name breaches Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and (2) of the electoral guidelines on candidate nomination, and wants the court to order AP to upload and submit his name to INEC. In the alternative, he is asking 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 supporting the suit, he further describe himself as a registered and financial member of AP, stating that he sponsored the party’s electronic membership drive with a payment of N7 million.

He said he also paid the prescribed N50 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.