A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, has ordered the Accord Party (AP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately uphold Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate for next year’s general election.
Justice Umar also ordered the party to submit Olawepo-Hashim’s name to INEC, in line with the provisions of Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026, which should be accepted by INEC.
In his judgment in a suit against AP and INEC, Justice Umar held that Section 86 of the Electoral Act was violently violated with the refusal to submit the plaintiff’s name to INEC after emerging victorious in the May 30 primary election as sole aspirant.
The Judge disagreed with the party’s denial of ever conducting any primary election, pointing to the evidence that Olawepo-Hashim paid N50million for expression of interest and nomination forms, which it accepted from him.
Justice Umar held that most of the party’s claims concerning the disputed primary election were contradictory in the face of the law.
Olawepo-Hashim, through his Counsel, Henry Akunebu (SAN), had urged the court to direct the party to immediately upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal as its presidential candidate and compel the electoral umpire to recognise and accept the nomination.
He challenged the authenticity of documents tendered by the party and INEC, particularly a letter allegedly cancelling the party’s presidential primary, arguing that the document lacked the party’s official stamp and was addressed to the INEC chairman, but was received by an unnamed national commissioner.
Akunebu also argued that political parties were bound by the Electoral Act, their constitutions and INEC guidelines in the nomination of candidates, saying a party that conducts a valid primary has a statutory duty to submit the winner’s name to INEC.
He urged the court to discountenance the exhibits, which he described as documents fabricated during the proceedings.
