The Accord has distanced itself from Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as its candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The Party said it did not generate a presidential candidate at the conclusion of sale of expression of interest and nomination forms and did not screen any aspirant neither did it organise a primary election for the office.
Accord claimed its scheduled presidential primary poll was cancelled as there was no aspirant within its electoral guidelines timetable and the Independent National Electoral Commission was appropriately informed.
The party said it has directed the bank to revoke Olawepo-Hashim’s payments for the expression of interest and nomination forms, claiming that the payment was made after the required date and when the process has been concluded.
In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Barrister Maxwell Mgbuden, Accord said the purported presidential primary where he emerged as the presidential candidate was not conducted by the national leadership of the party and has no effect whatsoever, adding that it was a fanfare by his supporters.
The statement read, “Accord did not have a presidential aspirant not to talk of a presidential candidate within the party’s approved Guidelines, Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the conduct of the presidential nomination process, as duly communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). There is a tight internal democracy in the party’s activities including the nomination process.
Many aspirants rushed to buy the expression of interest and nomination forms for Governorship, State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate but none of the aspirants bought expression of interest and nomination forms for President within the period stipulated by the party’s electoral guidelines. The electoral umpire was thus properly advised of the cancellation of the party’s planned presidential primary.
Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim emailed the party expressing interest to stand for president on 26th May 2026 which was received beyond the expiration of the permitted timetable and could not be processed as a viable application under the party’s presidential nomination process.
“After the expiration of the party’s timeframe for the purchase of the expression of interest and nomination forms and the screening of any aspirant for president, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim paid for the said forms into the party’s bank account. “In line with the cherished principles of transparency, accountability and due process as enshrined in the Accord, the party has directed its bankers to reverse the payments of N10,000,000.00 and N40,000,000.00 expression of interest and nomination forms fees respectfully to the originating bank.”
The party said it turned down the request by Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim to be declared the party’s presidential candidate on the ground that there was no other aspirant that came forward for nomination and the eligibility to participate in the nomination process was subject to full compliance with the requirements contained in the Accord’s guidelines including collection of expression of interest/nomination forms, filling and timely submission of the forms on or before the scheduled screening date and participation in the approved timeframe.
“It would not absolve the absence of any other aspirants of these mandatory conditions nor would it automatically confer entitlement to nomination,” it noted.