Political momentum behind the presidential aspiration of Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim was on full display on Tuesday as hundreds of Accord Party members and supporters thronged the Federal High Court in Abuja in solidarity with the party’s presidential hopeful.
The supporters converged on the court premises, receiving Hashim on arrival and remaining throughout the proceedings as the legal battle over the Accord Party’s 2027 presidential ticket entered another critical stage.
Although Dr. Hashim did not address the gathering, the large turnout underscored the depth of grassroots support for his bid to reclaim what he maintains is the presidential mandate he validly secured at the party’s primary election held on May 30, 2026.
The suit, instituted against the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was adjourned for 24 hours after both defendants served fresh court processes on Hashim’s legal team shortly before the hearing commenced.
Counsel to the plaintiff informed the court that the documents had just been received and requested time to study and respond to the new filings before the substantive hearing could proceed.
The trial judge subsequently adjourned the matter until 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday for hearing.
At the core of the dispute is Hashim’s claim that he lawfully emerged as the sole aspirant and winner of the Accord Party’s presidential primary, but that the party failed to transmit his name to INEC in accordance with the Electoral Act and the party’s constitutional obligations.
Through the suit, Hashim is asking the court to affirm him as the Accord Party’s lawful presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and to compel the party to submit his name to INEC, having been affirmed at the presidential primary held on June 30, 2026.
In the alternative, he seeks an order directing the conduct of a fresh presidential primary should the court decline to grant the principal relief.
Hashim maintains that he fulfilled all constitutional and statutory requirements for the nomination process, including the payment of the prescribed ₦50 million nomination fee, and insists that the presidential primary was duly monitored by INEC officials.
The massive presence of Accord supporters at the Federal High Court added a political dimension to the legal contest, signalling that Hashim’s presidential aspiration continues to command significant support within the party as the battle over the ticket enters its decisive phase.
