2027: Accord Party Faction Demands Submission of its Presidential Candidate to INEC
- Members of the Accord Alliance Movement urged the party leadership to submit Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim's name to INEC as the party's 2027 presidential candidate
- The group alleged that a faction within the party was attempting to deny Olawepo-Hashim a presidential ticket he earned through a nationwide primary election
- Accord's national chairman had earlier stated the party did not conduct any presidential primary and would not field a presidential candidate in 2027
A faction within the Accord Party has called on the party's leadership to forward the name of Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The group, operating under the banner of the Accord Alliance Movement (AAM), also known as the Movement for New Nigeria, made the demand at a press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, July 8.
Source: Twitter
A statement cited by Legit.ng on Wednesday, July 8, the Director General of the AAM, Hon. Light Adah Adoko, maintained that the party did in fact hold a nationwide presidential primary, during which members voted overwhelmingly for Olawepo-Hashim as its candidate.
Faction speaks on denying 2027 presidential candidate
He described the subsequent refusal by party leadership to recognise that outcome as a deliberate act of sabotage rather than a procedural failing.
"A political party is not a private business. It is not a family property managed by a privileged few. A political party is a public trust," Adoko said.
He added that the conduct of certain figures within the party was "undermining internal party democracy and the very tenets of our hard won democracy."
The AAM's position stands in direct contrast to that of Accord's national chairman, Maxwell Mgbude, who had earlier stated that the party conducted no presidential primary and would therefore not present a candidate for the 2027 presidency.
Adoko, who hails from Benue state, framed the dispute in stark terms, characterising the leadership's stance as a "grand conspiracy" against what he described as the New Nigeria vision.
He warned that parties which disregard the choices of their members ultimately invite their own collapse.
"History shows that the path the leadership of our party have chosen leads to ruin. Every time a political party destroys its own internal democracy, it collapses," he said.
The group also issued a pointed defence of Olawepo-Hashim's credentials, citing his record of opposition to military rule and his longstanding involvement in pro-democracy struggles across Nigeria and the wider continent.
Adoko argued that blocking the candidate would amount to disenfranchising millions of Nigerians who, in his words, believe in Olawepo-Hashim's capacity to address the country's mounting challenges around corruption, insecurity, and the rising cost of living.
The AAM described itself as a broad coalition of grassroots supporters and stakeholders committed to mobilising public support behind Olawepo-Hashim's presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 polls.
2027: Accord speaks on ensorsing Tinubu
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, April 23, the party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, described the claims as unfounded, insisting that the party remains committed to its own electoral plans.
Mgbudem reaffirmed the party’s support for Ademola Adeleke, noting that the governor remains its candidate ahead of the next governorship election in Osun state.
Source: Legit.ng
