Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, the presidential candidate of the Accord Party, on Monday, sought the support of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun and other party’s stakeholders in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.

Mr Olawepo-Hashim spoke in an interview with judiciary correspondents, shortly after the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him as the party’s candidate for the election.

He expressed optimism that Mr Adeleke would support his presidential candidacy since Osun is an Accord Party state.

He said the judgement, delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, had presented an opportunity for the party to build momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.

Mr Olawepo-Hashim appealed to stakeholders in the party to close ranks and unite towards ensuring a victory for the party.

“I want to use this opportunity to ask all stakeholders in Accord Party to reconcile, unite and seize this momentous occasion,” he said.

He said the party was ready to compete not only in the presidential election but also in the National Assembly and governorship contests across the country.

Mr Olawepo-Hashim, who said that the 2027 election would be different from previous elections, identified the economy and security as key issues that would shape the contest.

The Accord candidate predicted that the 2027 presidential election could go into a runoff.

He said the party would commence its major campaign activities in two weeks’ time, beginning from Abuja.

He stated that the party had spent several years building political structures across the country.

He said the party had proposed a petrol pump price of N605 per litre if elected as president.

He explained that the proposed price would be based on a different approach to domestic crude pricing, refining and logistics costs.

He said the N605 figure could include an energy tax to support the development of alternative energy sources.

The presidential candidate further said that petrol could eventually sell for between N200 and N300 per litre if production costs and the exchange rate get stabilised.

Justice Mohammed Umar on Wednesday affirmed Mr Olawepo-Hashim as Accord Party presidential candidate in the 2027 presidential election.

Mr Umar, in the judgement, held that contrary to the political party’s claim, there was evidence that Mr Olawepo-Hashim emerged its sole presidential candidate after a primary poll it conducted on May 30.

Mr Umar therefore ordered Accord Party to immediately recognise Mr Olawepo-Hashim as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election and forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable the commission upload his name on its portal as required.

The judge held that it was wrong for the party to have failed to recognise the plaintiff as its presidential candidate and forward his name to INEC after the party collected N50 million from him as cost of nomination and expression of interest forms.

Mr Olawepo-Hashim, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1268/2026 and filed by his lawyer, Henry Akunaebu, SAN, sued Accord and INEC as first and second defendants.

The plaintiff, in the suit, prayed the court to compel his party to forward his name to the electoral umpire as a validly nominated candidate for the forthcoming presidential poll, among others.

(NAN)