The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday witnessed a large turnout of supporters of Accord Party presidential aspirant, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, as he commenced legal action seeking recognition as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Hundreds of supporters, including party members, youth groups, women, and political associates from across the country, gathered at the court premises in a show of solidarity. The crowd reportedly caused heavy congestion around the court complex as supporters waited to demonstrate their backing for the politician.

In the suit filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim is asking the court to compel the Accord Party to recognise him as its presidential candidate and transmit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Accord Party and INEC were named as the first and second defendants respectively in the originating summons.

The plaintiff is seeking a determination on whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite emerging as the sole winner of the party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026, violates the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

Among the reliefs sought, Olawepo-Hashim is asking the court to declare that the party’s refusal to forward his name to INEC constitutes a breach of Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026, as well as Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of the applicable electoral guidelines governing candidate nominations.

He further requested an order directing the Accord Party to submit his name to INEC as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election. In the alternative, he urged the court to order the conduct of a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate if the court declines to grant the primary relief.

In a supporting affidavit, Olawepo-Hashim stated that he is a registered and financially up-to-date member of the Accord Party. He claimed to have funded the party’s electronic membership registration drive with a contribution of ₦7 million and paid ₦50 million as the prescribed nomination fee for the presidential primary.

According to him, he was the sole aspirant in the primary election conducted on May 30, 2026, and emerged victorious in an exercise he said was monitored by INEC officials in line with the Electoral Act.

He alleged that despite his emergence as the party’s candidate, the Accord Party failed to submit his name to the electoral commission. He also claimed that the party did not provide aspirants with guidelines for the conduct of the primary election as required by INEC regulations, although he proceeded based on assurances from the party’s leadership.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Henry Akunebu (SAN), argued in his written address that political parties are legally obligated to comply with the Electoral Act, their constitutions, and INEC guidelines in the nomination of candidates.

Akunebu maintained that once a valid primary election has been conducted and a winner emerges, the political party has a statutory duty to forward the name of the successful aspirant to INEC and cannot arbitrarily deny the candidate the outcome of the democratic process.

He therefore urged the court to uphold the principles of internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought by his client.

During proceedings before Court 5 of the Federal High Court, counsel representing INEC requested an adjournment to enable the commission file its response to the suit. Counsel for the Accord Party supported the application and also sought more time.

However, Akunebu opposed the request and urged the court to proceed with the hearing.

After listening to submissions from all parties, the presiding judge granted the application for adjournment and fixed July 14, 2026, for hearing of the substantive matter.

The outcome of the case is expected to provide further judicial interpretation of the Electoral Act 2026 and could have significant implications for internal party democracy as political parties prepare for the 2027 general election.