The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has fixed July 15, 2026 for the substantive hearing of a suit filed by Accord Party chieftain, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, seeking an order compelling the party to recognise him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The adjournment followed the late entrance of INEC into the dispute, after both the party and the electoral body served fresh court processes on Hashim’s legal team shortly before Tuesday’s hearing began.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Henry Akunebu, SAN, told the court that the documents had only just been received and requested time to study and respond before the substantive hearing could proceed. Justice Mohammed Umar granted the request and adjourned the matter to Wednesday.

The proceedings drew hundreds of Accord Party members and supporters to the court complex, who surrounded Hashim on arrival and remained at the venue throughout the hearing.

Hashim, who named Accord Party and INEC as first and second defendants in an Originating Summons, is asking the court to determine whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal despite his emergence as sole winner of the May 30 primary violates the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s guidelines for political parties.

He is seeking a declaration that the party’s refusal to forward his name breached Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and (2) of the electoral guidelines on candidate nomination, and wants the court to order Accord Party to upload and submit his name to INEC.

In the alternative, he is asking the court to decline to order submission of his name, insisting that the party be directed to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would participate.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, Hashim described himself as a registered and financial member of Accord Party, stating that he sponsored the party’s electronic membership drive with a payment of ₦7 million and paid the prescribed ₦50 million nomination fee to contest the presidential primary.

He said he emerged as sole aspirant and winner of the exercise, which was monitored by INEC officials in line with the Electoral Act, alleging that despite his victory, the party failed to submit his name to INEC and had not issued aspirants with guidelines for the primary as required by INEC regulations, though he proceeded on the strength of assurances he said were given by the party’s national leadership.

In a written address, Akunebu argued that political parties are legally bound to comply with the Electoral Act, their constitutions, and INEC’s guidelines in nominating candidates, and that a party which conducts a valid primary is statutorily obligated to submit the winner’s name to INEC.

He urged the court to uphold internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has denied reports that he plans to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Dr Dominic Alancha, Dogara described the reports as false, saying he remains a loyal member of the ruling party.

“We wish to state categorically that these claims are false, baseless, and deliberately intended to mislead the public and create unnecessary political tension,” Alancha said.

He added, “Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara remains a committed and loyal member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He has neither resigned from the party nor expressed any intention to do so.”

The statement also blamed “mischief makers seeking to sow division within the APC” for spreading the rumours.

According to Alancha, Dogara is focused on strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections and working with party leaders and supporters across the country.

The statement further said, “Rt. Hon. Dogara is committed to supporting the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ensuring the victory of the APC in the 2027 general election.”

He urged the public and the media to ignore unverified reports and rely only on official information.

A faction of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, led by its National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, has called on former vice President Atiku Abubakar to immediately desist from parading himself as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.

In a statement he issued on Tuesday, Nafiu noted that Atiku Abubakar, “is not and has never been the Presidential Candidate of the ADC for the 2027 General Elections”.

“We also give him a 7-day ultimatum to come out and tender a public apology to the members and stakeholders of the ADC for making unauthorized statements on behalf of the Party.

“Failure to comply with the above demand within the stipulated period, we shall seek appropriate legal redress”, he said.

He urged the former VP to “refrain forthwith from using the Party’s name, logo, and emblem in spreading falsehoods and misinformation about the ADC”.

Nafiu also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately remove the names of Senator David Mark-led members of the NWC from the Commission’s portal.

He also urged the commission to immediately upload and recognize what he termed the “only the authentic members” of the party’s NWC compliance with the recent judgment of the court.

According to him, the “judgment directed INEC to withdraw recognition from the David Mark-led NWC and further invalidate all decisions, resolutions, and actions taken by the committee.”