The Accord Party has rejected claims that former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, is its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, insisting that no legitimate primary election was conducted by the party.
Olawepo-Hashim had on May 26 declared his intention to run for president on the platform of Accord, with reports later suggesting he emerged as the party’s flagbearer after allegedly securing 423,902 votes as the sole contestant.
However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Chairman of Accord, Maxwell Mgbudem, dismissed the reports, describing them as false and not reflective of any official party process.
According to him, the party did not conduct any presidential primary, as no aspirant purchased expression of interest or nomination forms within the stipulated timeframe.
“The purported presidential primary where he emerged as the ‘presidential candidate of Accord’ as widely reported in the national media was not conducted by our great party and has no effect whatsoever,” the statement read.
Mgbudem explained that what was being circulated as Olawepo-Hashim’s emergence was merely a “fanfare by supporters,” stressing that it did not represent any recognised party procedure.
He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already been informed that Accord did not hold any presidential primary for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the 2027 elections.
The chairman further disclosed that Olawepo-Hashim had written to the party on May 26 expressing interest in the presidential ticket after the nomination deadline had already elapsed, making his application ineligible for consideration.
He also alleged that the former PDP chieftain made payments of ₦10 million and ₦40 million for nomination-related forms after the deadline, noting that the funds were later refunded to the originating bank.
Mgbudem maintained that the absence of other aspirants did not amount to automatic endorsement, stressing that all candidates must comply fully with party rules, nomination guidelines, and deadlines to be validly considered.
