Accord disowns Olawepo-Hashim’s presidential candidacy, refunds N50m fee

The national leadership of Accord has disowned former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as its flagbearer for the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the party did not conduct any presidential primary or produce a candidate for the race.

 

National Chairman of the party, Maxwell Mgbuden, made the clarification in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

 

The development comes days after Olawepo-Hashim’s media team announced that he had emerged as the party’s presidential candidate through what it described as affirmation primaries held across participating states.

 

However, Mgbuden said the exercise was not organised or recognised by the party and could not be regarded as a valid presidential primary.

 

“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.

 

“It was a fanfare by his supporters, which should not be misconstrued as the party’s presidential primary. It was not,” he said.

 

The party explained that no aspirant successfully completed the process required to contest for the presidency within the timeline contained in its guidelines and schedule of activities submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

According to Mgbuden, while several aspirants purchased forms for governorship, National Assembly and state legislative positions, no valid presidential aspirant emerged within the approved period.

 

He disclosed that Olawepo-Hashim only formally indicated interest in the presidential race through a letter dated May 26, 2026, after the deadline for the submission and screening of aspirants had elapsed.

 

“As a result, the electoral umpire was duly notified of the cancellation of the party’s scheduled presidential primary,” the statement added.

 

The party further revealed that Olawepo-Hashim paid a total of N50 million into its account after the nomination process had closed, comprising N10 million for an expression of interest form and N40 million for a nomination form.

 

“It was after the elapse of the party’s timeframe for the purchase of the expression of interest and nomination forms as well as the screening of any aspirant for president that Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim paid for the said forms into the party’s bank account,” the statement said.

 

Accord stated that it subsequently directed its bankers to refund the money to the originating account because the nomination process had already been concluded.

 

“In keeping with Accord’s cherished principles of transparency, accountability and due process, the party instructed its bankers to reverse the payments of N10,000,000 and N40,000,000, expression of interest and nomination forms fees respectively, to the originating bank,” it stated.

 

The party also rejected claims that Olawepo-Hashim should automatically become its candidate because no other aspirant sought the presidential ticket, stressing that all nomination procedures must be followed regardless of the number of contestants.

 

“The absence of other aspirants would not dispense with these mandatory conditions nor confer automatic entitlement to nomination,” Mgbuden said.

 

Accord added that it had formally communicated its position to Olawepo-Hashim in a letter dated May 31, informing him that both his expression of interest and subsequent petition were submitted outside the approved timeframe.

 

The party maintained that it currently has no presidential candidate for the 2027 election, although it has successfully nominated candidates for governorship and legislative positions.