A Federal High Court ruling directing the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections has triggered fresh political questions within the party.
Jagunmolu Moses, an Accord chieftain in Lagos State, described the judgment as a significant setback for the faction of the party associated with Osun State Gov. Ademola Adeleke.
Moses made the comments in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.
Federal High Court orders recognition of Olawepo-Hashim
The ruling was delivered on Monday by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court ordered Accord to submit Olawepo-Hashim’s name to INEC as its presidential candidate and directed the electoral commission to accept the nomination.
Justice Umar based the decision on Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026, holding that the provision had been violated when the party failed to submit Olawepo-Hashim’s name after he emerged as the sole aspirant at the party’s May 30 presidential primary.
Moses says judgment disrupts faction’s strategy
Moses argued that the ruling directly affects the strategy adopted by the Adeleke-aligned faction, which had opted not to present a presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
According to him, the decision had been interpreted in some political circles as an indication that the faction intended to support President Bola Tinubu rather than contest the presidential election independently.
He said the court order had now introduced an unexpected legal and political complication to that approach.
Olawepo-Hashim’s route to the Accord ticket
Moses said Olawepo-Hashim, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party and an associate of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, joined Accord through the Maxwell-Adeleke faction to seek the party’s presidential nomination.
He said Olawepo-Hashim subsequently secured a court order affirming his mandate after the faction did not submit a presidential candidate to INEC.
The development has therefore placed the party’s earlier decision over its presidential ticket under renewed scrutiny.
Questions raised over the decision not to field a candidate
Moses questioned whether the decision to leave the presidential ticket vacant was connected to political expectations beyond the presidential election, including possible reciprocity linked to the Osun governorship election.
He argued that the emergence of Olawepo-Hashim as a court-backed presidential candidate had complicated any political arrangement that may have been associated with the earlier strategy.
Moses said the faction could challenge the ruling through the courts if it believed the judgment was wrong, noting that an appeal would provide a route for pursuing any available legal remedy.
Appeal could determine the next stage
According to Moses, the decision by the Adeleke-aligned faction on whether to appeal the ruling could attract further political attention.
He said that if the faction believed the judgment was erroneous, it had the right to challenge it through the appropriate legal channels.
Conversely, he argued that a decision not to appeal could prompt questions about the considerations behind the earlier decision to leave the presidential ticket vacant.
Leadership dispute remains before the courts
The presidential ticket dispute is unfolding against the backdrop of a wider leadership crisis within Accord.
Moses noted that competing claims involving the Mgbudem faction and the Prof. Chris Imumolen faction remain before the courts, with the broader leadership question yet to receive a final judicial determination.
The unresolved dispute adds another layer of uncertainty to the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
Political consequences remain uncertain
Moses also raised questions about the legal strategy employed by the Adeleke-aligned faction, asking whether its position had been adequately defended during the court proceedings.
He suggested that the outcome could reflect shortcomings in the legal handling of the dispute or developments in the political calculations surrounding the party’s presidential ticket.
For now, the court ruling has placed Olawepo-Hashim’s claim at the centre of Accord’s 2027 presidential contest, while any appeal and the continuing leadership litigation could determine how the party ultimately proceeds.
Moses said the political implications of the faction’s earlier strategy would become clearer with time as the legal process and preparations for the 2027 elections continue.
