The Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment affirming Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of Accord Party for the 2027 general election has been served on the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), setting the stage for compliance with the court orders.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on October 5, 2026, ruled that Hashim emerged as Accord’s presidential candidate from the May 30, 2026 primary and ordered the party to submit his name to INEC.
The court further ordered INEC to accept and recognise him as the party’s presidential candidate.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Hashim against Accord Party and INEC over the party’s failure to submit his name after the disputed primary.
Accord Party’s counsel, T.W. Olusesi, had told the court that the primary was validly cancelled.
Hashim’s counsel, Henry Akunebu (SAN), challenged the purported cancellation and the documents relied upon by the party and INEC, arguing that the cancellation letter lacked the party’s official stamp and raised questions about how it was received within the electoral commission.
Justice Umar, in his judgment, rejected the objections and held that evidence before the court established that Hashim emerged from the May 30 exercise.
The judge also relied on evidence that Accord Party accepted N50 million from Hashim for Expression of Interest and nomination forms.
What has particularly intrigued political and legal observers is the extent to which INEC became involved in the dispute.
With the CTC now served on both defendants, the immediate issue is no longer whether Hashim won the Accord primary, but whether the party and the electoral commission will give effect to the orders of the Federal High Court.
The development marks a new phase in Hashim’s candidacy, as the legal dispute that cast uncertainty over Accord’s presidential ticket has moved into the implementation stage, with the court directing the party to recognise Hashim and forward his name to INEC for the 2027 presidential election.
However, there are indications that the party chairman may be spoiling for a fight at the appellate court despite Hashim’s call for reconciliation.
Meanwhile, Accord Party Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, has appealed the judgment delivered by Justice Umar in suit No. FHC/ABJ/1268/2026, filed at the Court of Appeal.
