Court Reserves Judgment on Olawepo-Hashim's Suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in a suit filed by Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim against the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The case seeks to compel INEC to recognize the Accord Party's presidential candidate for the 2027 elections. Justice Moham Umar presided over the matter, which saw the parties adopt their final written addresses.

Olawepo-Hashim's lawyer, Henri Akunebu SAN, argued that the Accord Party should be directed to immediately submit the name of its presidential candidate to INEC. The plaintiff challenged the validity of the party's primary election, claiming that the documents presented lacked official stamps and raised doubts about their authenticity.

The Accord Party countered that the primary election was validly canceled and that no aspirants purchased nomination forms. They urged the court to dismiss the suit, asserting that INEC did not monitor the canceled primary election.

Olawepo-Hashim seeks a declaration that the party's refusal to submit the candidate's name violates the Electoral Act and INEC's guidelines.