Olawepo-Hashim Rejected by Accord Party, N50 Million Nomination Fee Returned

The national leadership of Accord Party on Wednesday dismissed reports that Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim is it’s presidential candidate.

National Chairman of Accord party, Maxwell Mgbuden in a statement issued in Abuja said the party did not conduct any presidential primary.

The rebuttal comes two days after Olawepo-Hashim’s media office announced his emergence following alleged affirmation primaries that recorded massive turnout of party members and supporters across participating states.

But Mgbuden insisted the purported exercise that produced him was not recognised by the national leadership and was nothing more than a gathering organised by his supporters.

“The so-called presidential primary where he was reported to have emerged as the ‘presidential candidate of Accord’ in the national media was not conducted by our great party and has no effect whatsoever,” he said.

“It was a fanfare by his supporters and should not be misconstrued to be the party’s presidential primary. “No,” said the other.

The party chairman stated that it had no credible presidential aspirant within the time frame provided in its approved guidelines, timetable and schedule of activities submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He said while several aspirants bought nomination forms for governorship, National Assembly and state legislative positions, no one filled out the requisites to contest for the presidency within the approved period.

Also, Accord stated that Olawepo-Hashim formally expressed his interest to contest for the presidency only in a letter dated May 26, 2026, after the deadline for the submission and screening of aspirants had expired.

“The electoral umpire was duly notified of the cancellation of the party scheduled presidential primary as a consequence,” the statement added.

Mgbuden also disclosed that it got payments amounting to ₦50 million from Olawepo-Hashim after the expiration of the nomination process.

He said the payment comprised ₦10 million for the expression of interest form and ₦40 million for the nomination form.

“It was after the expiration of the period the party set for the purchase of the expression of interest and nomination forms and 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.

The party further stated that it then instructed its bankers to return the payments to the originating account as the same could not be processed under the nomination exercise which had already been closed.

“In compliance with the cherished principles of the Accord of transparency, accountability and due process, the party directed its bankers to reverse the payments of ₦10,000,000 and ₦40,000,000 being expression of interest and nomination forms fees respectively to the originating bank,” it said.

Accord also debunked what it called Olawepo-Hashim’s claim that he was to automatically emerge the party’s candidate because no other aspirant sought the ticket.

It stressed the importance of following its nomination procedures regardless of the number of aspirants.

“The non-existence of other aspirants will not dispense with these mandatory conditions nor confer automatic entitlement to nomination,” Mgbuden argued.

The leadership also revealed that it had formally communicated its position to Olawepo-Hashim in a letter dated May 31, stating that his expression of interest and subsequent petition could not be processed as they were submitted outside the approved timeframe.

“Accord has no presidential candidate for the 2027 general election for now. However, the party fielded candidates for gubernatorial and legislative positions,” Mgbuden concluded.