INEC Approves Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim for 2027 Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially recognized Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate for the Accord Party in the upcoming 2027 presidential election, raising the total number of candidates to 19. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced this decision, which is in compliance with a Federal High Court judgement issued on October 5, 2026.

The court ordered the Accord Party to acknowledge Olawepo-Hashim as its candidate and to submit his name to INEC, resolving a prolonged internal dispute regarding the party's presidential ticket. Additionally, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, the only serving governor from the Accord Party, has publicly supported President Bola Tinubu's re-election campaign, creating a unique political dynamic as he backs a candidate from a different party while his own party fields a presidential candidate.