By Grant Onyeke
An Accord chieftain in Lagos State, Jagunmolu Moses, has described the Federal High Court ruling ordering Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate as a major setback for the Gov. Ademola Adeleke-faction of the party.
Moses, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, said the judicial decision directly undermined the faction’s strategic decision not to field a presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, had, on Monday, ordered the party and INEC to immediately uphold Olawepo-Hashim as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The judge ordered Accord to submit the candidate’s name to INEC, in line with provisions of section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and that it must be accepted by INEC.
Umar held that section 86 of the Electoral Act was violently violated with refusal to submit the plaintiff’s name to INEC after emerging victorious in the May 30 primary election as sole aspirant.
However, Moses, in the statement, said the initial decision to leave the party’s presidential ticket vacant was widely interpreted within the political circle as a calculated move to support President Bola Tinubu.
“The recent judgment directing INEC to recognise and upload Hashim Olawepo as the presidential candidate of Accord has raised serious political and legal questions about the events surrounding our 2027 presidential ticket,” he said.
Moses explained that Olawepo-Hashim, a former member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and associate of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, joined Accord through the Maxwell–Adeleke faction to pursue the party’s presidential nomination.
He noted that following the primary process, he secured a court order affirming his mandate after the faction initially submitted no candidate to INEC.
Moses questioned whether the decision to hold back the ticket was tied to unspoken expectations of political reciprocity, particularly in connection with the Osun governorship poll.
“If the Adeleke-aligned faction genuinely decided to support President Tinubu by fielding no presidential candidate, then the emergence of Hashim Olawepo through the courts represents a major political and legal complication.
“If the faction believes the judgment is wrong, it has the right to appeal and pursue every lawful remedy available.
“But if it chooses not to appeal, then Nigerians will understandably ask questions about the political calculations behind its earlier decision,” Moses said.
He highlighted what he called several structural risks facing Accord ahead of the general elections, including litigation strategy.
Moses queried whether the Adeleke-aligned faction adequately defended its position in court, suggesting that the defeat pointed to either flawed legal handling or an unexpected turn in political calculations.
Moses noted that the fundamental leadership crisis within Accord remained active before the courts, with competing claims between the Mgbudem faction and the Prof. Chris Imumolen faction still awaiting final judicial determination.
The Accord chieftain, however, said that while legal appeals might determine the ultimate status of the presidential ticket, time would reveal the true political consequences of the faction’s strategy.(NAN)
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq
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