Court orders INEC to recognise Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as Accord’s 2027 presidential candidate

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim is the Accord Party’s legitimate presidential candidate for the 2027 election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and record his candidacy.

The judgment, handed down on Monday, requires the party to forward Olawepo-Hashim’s name to INEC so it can be included in the lists for the January 16, 2027 presidential poll. Multiple reports say the court concluded the Accord Party failed to comply with legal requirements governing candidate nomination.

Which judge delivered the ruling is reported differently by the outlets. Two reports name Justice Mohammed Garba Umar; another names Justice Mohammed Umar. The discrepancy is noted here to reflect the differing accounts in the coverage.

Why the court acted

According to court coverage in the Daily Post and corroborated by other outlets, the ruling found that the Accord Party breached the provisions of Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 by not submitting Olawepo-Hashim’s name to the electoral commission. The court’s decision compels the party to remedy that omission so INEC can process his candidacy for the scheduled January election.

What this means going forward

With the court order directing INEC to recognise and list Olawepo-Hashim, the Accord Party is legally bound to present his name for registration. The decision, if implemented by the party and INEC, would ensure his inclusion on official candidate rosters ahead of the national vote.

The ruling comes as political parties prepare for the January 16, 2027 presidential election, underscoring the role of courts in resolving internal party nomination disputes and enforcing compliance with recent amendments to electoral law.

Coverage of the judgment varied slightly across reports on procedural details and the judge’s full name. This article limits its assertions to facts reported by multiple outlets and attributes details reported by single sources when necessary.