The national leadership of the Accord party has disowned Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, stating that no valid presidential primary was conducted and no candidate emerged from the party.
The party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbuden, made the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, dismissing reports that Olawepo-Hashim had been affirmed as the party’s flagbearer.
He said the purported primary that produced Olawepo-Hashim was not conducted by the party and amounted only to a gathering organised by supporters, which cannot be recognised as an official nomination process.
Mgbuden explained that Accord did not have any valid presidential aspirant within the timeframe approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission, as no individual completed the required procedures before the deadline.
He added that although nomination forms were purchased for other political offices, no aspirant successfully processed a presidential bid within the stipulated schedule.
According to him, Olawepo-Hashim only formally indicated interest in contesting the presidency in a letter dated May 26, 2026, after the closure of the party’s nomination process.
The party further disclosed that it received ₦50 million from Olawepo-Hashim for expression of interest and nomination forms after the deadline had expired, adding that the payments were subsequently reversed.
Mgbuden stated that the reversal was necessary because the funds could not be applied to a concluded nomination process, stressing the party’s commitment to transparency and due process.
Accord also rejected claims that Olawepo-Hashim should automatically become its candidate due to a lack of competitors, insisting that all nomination requirements remain compulsory regardless of the number of aspirants.
The party maintained that it had already notified Olawepo-Hashim in writing that his submissions could not be processed due to lateness.
It concluded that Accord currently has no presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, though it has successfully nominated candidates for governorship and legislative positions.