Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The national leadership of the Accord Party has firmly disowned Dr. Gbenga Olawepo‑Hashim as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. In a statement issued on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, the party declared that it did not conduct a presidential primary, that it had no valid presidential aspirant, and that no candidate has been nominated for the race. At the same time, the party disclosed that it has instructed its bankers to reverse the ₦50 million (N10 million for expression of interest and N40 million for nomination) paid by Hashim, because the payment came after the nomination process had expired.
Accord’s National Chairman, Barrister Maxwell Mgbudem (also referred to as Maxwell Mgbuden), said the party had previously scheduled a presidential primary, but it was cancelled because no aspirant purchased the nomination forms within the approved timeframe. “Accord did not have a presidential aspirant, let alone a presidential candidate, within the party’s approved guidelines, timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the presidential nomination process,” the statement reads. The party noted that it had duly notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the cancellation.
Mgbudem dismissed widely circulated reports that Hashim had won a “presidential primary” as false. “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,” he said. The party insisted that while many aspirants purchased forms for governorship, National Assembly and state legislative positions, no aspirant completed the process to contest the presidency within the approved timeline.
Accord revealed that Hashim only formally expressed interest in contesting for the presidency through a letter dated 26 May 2026 – a date that fell after the deadline for submission and screening of aspirants had already elapsed. Consequently, the application could not be processed as a valid submission under the party’s guidelines.
It was after the expiration of the party’s timeframe for the purchase of forms and the screening of aspirants that Hashim paid ₦50 million into the party’s bank account. “In keeping with the 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,” the statement said.
Hashim had reportedly argued that he should be declared the party’s candidate on the basis that no other aspirant sought the ticket. Accord rejected that reasoning, stressing that compliance with its nomination procedures remained mandatory regardless of the number of aspirants. “The absence of other aspirants would not dispense with these mandatory conditions nor confer automatic entitlement to nomination,” Mgbudem said.
The party also disclosed that it formally communicated its position to Hashim in a letter dated 31 May 2026, explaining that his expression of interest and subsequent petition could not be processed because they were submitted outside the approved timeframe. Accord concluded that it currently has no presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. The party, however, has nominated candidates for governorship and various legislative offices.
For Hashim, whose earlier declaration on 26 May had generated significant media attention, the party’s firm rejection and the refund of his ₦50 million fee represent a definitive end to his brief attempt to secure the Accord presidential ticket. With the primary window now closed, the former presidential hopeful must decide whether to pursue the presidency through another platform or abandon his 2027 ambition.
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