2027 Presidency: Court reserves judgment in Olawepo-Hashim’s suit against INEC

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday reserved judgment in a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party (AP) for the 2027 general election.

Justice Mohammed Umar okayed the matter for judgment after all parties adopted their final briefs of argument on Wednesday.

Olawepo-Hashim, through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Henry Akunebu, SAN, urged the court to direct the Accord Party to immediately forward his name to INEC to be acknowledged as a presidential candidate.

He challenged the credibility of documents exhibited by the party and INEC, particularly a letter purportedly cancelling the primary election that produced him.

According to the plaintiff, the documents not only lacked the party’s official stamp but were addressed to the INEC chairman yet received by an unnamed national commissioner.

Consequently, Olawepo-Hashim asked the court not to attach any probative value to the exhibits, insisting they were fabricated to deny him the opportunity to contest the presidential poll.

He also challenged the authenticity of a computer-generated membership register of the party that was tendered as an exhibit, contending that it was not accompanied by a certificate of compliance as required by law.

He told the court that at no time did the party cancel the primary election.

However, both INEC and the Accord Party urged the court to dismiss the suit for want of merit.

The party, through its lawyer, Mr. T. W. Olusesi, maintained that its primaries were validly cancelled after no candidate showed up or purchased nomination forms.

Moreover, the party told the court that INEC did not monitor the primaries because they had already been cancelled.

For its part, INEC’s legal team, led by D. J. Gusen, urged the court to dismiss the suit.

The commission said it did not monitor the said primary election, given that the exercise had been cancelled by the party.

After hearing all the parties, Justice Umar adjourned the case, adding that the judgment date would be communicated.

While the Accord Party was listed as the 1st defendant in the matter, INEC was sued as the 2nd defendant.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖