2027: Accord Chairman Appeals Judgment Affirming Hashim As Presidential Candidate

The National Chairman of the Accord Party, Maxwell Mgbudem, has appealed the Federal High Court judgment affirming Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Mgbudem filed the appeal at the Court of Appeal, challenging the judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar on October 5.

The case centres on the Accord Party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026, during which Hashim emerged as the party’s candidate.

Justice Umar had ordered the party to upload and/or forward Hashim’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate.

The judgment followed a suit filed by Hashim against the Accord Party and INEC after the party failed to submit his name to the electoral commission.

Hashim had told the court that he won the May 30 primary, while Accord and INEC relied on a notification purportedly informing the commission that the exercise had been cancelled.

Counsel to Accord, T.W. Olusesi, argued during the proceedings that the primary was validly cancelled and that no valid exercise was conducted to produce Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate.

However, Hashim’s counsel, Henry Akunebu, SAN, challenged the validity of the alleged cancellation documents, particularly a letter said to have been sent to INEC.

Akunebu argued that the letter did not bear the party’s official stamp or imprimatur and questioned the circumstances under which it was received by INEC.

INEC had maintained that it did not monitor the May 30 primary because it received notification that the exercise had been cancelled.

Justice Umar, however, held that the evidence before the court established that Hashim emerged from the primary.

The judge also considered evidence that the Accord Party received N50 million from Hashim for his Expression of Interest and nomination forms.

The court subsequently ordered the party to forward or upload his name to INEC as its presidential candidate.

According to documents supplied to SaharaReporters, a Certified True Copy of the judgment was served on both Accord and INEC on October 8.

Mgbudem’s appeal now challenges the Federal High Court’s decision and keeps the dispute over the Accord Party’s 2027 presidential ticket before the courts.

Following the judgment, Hashim had called on members and stakeholders of the party to put their differences aside and work towards victory in the 2027 elections.

“I give God the Glory for this victory, I dedicate the victory also to all stakeholders and our dear party members and my hardworking legal team. We are grateful to the Judiciary that has done justice on this matter,” Hashim said.

“We won’t leave anybody behind…We should all come together and work for the party’s victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential election and all other elections. The march to a New Nigeria has started …”

With Mgbudem’s appeal now before the Court of Appeal, the dispute over who will represent the Accord Party in the 2027 presidential election remains unresolved.

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