Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has paid a congratulatory visit to Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim following the Federal High Court judgment affirming Hashim as the Accord Party’s presidential candidate for the January 16, 2027 election.
Sowore’s visit came shortly after Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed Hashim’s emergence from Accord’s May 30, 2026 presidential primary and ordered the party to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The court also ordered INEC to accept and recognise him as the party’s presidential candidate upon submission.
During the visit, Sowore congratulated Hashim on the legal victory and the resolution of the dispute surrounding his emergence as Accord’s standard-bearer.
The meeting brought together two presidential candidates with long-standing backgrounds in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement and political activism, against the backdrop of preparations for the 2027 general election.
Hashim had approached the Federal High Court after Accord failed to submit his name to INEC, maintaining that he was the sole aspirant and winner of the party’s May 30 presidential primary.
In its judgment, the court rejected Accord’s position that the disputed primary had been cancelled or that no valid primary was conducted. Justice Umar also rejected the purported cancellation letter relied upon in the dispute and held that the evidence before the court supported Hashim’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
Reacting to the judgment, Hashim expressed appreciation to the judiciary, his supporters, party stakeholders and members of his legal team. He described the ruling as an opportunity to bring members of the party together after months of disagreement.
“We won’t leave anybody behind. We should all come together and work for the party’s victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential election and all other elections,” Hashim said.
He specifically called on stakeholders and members of Accord to reconcile, unite and use the court victory as a fresh starting point for strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Hashim has also said Accord intends to compete in the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections, arguing that issues such as the economy and security would be central to the 2027 contest.
The Sowore visit adds to the political activity surrounding Hashim’s court victory, as the Accord candidate moves from the immediate legal dispute toward party reconciliation and preparations for the forthcoming election.
