Accord Party Asks Court to Dismiss Suit Seeking Disqualification of 2027 Candidates

 

By Atlantic Reports

The Accord Party has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking the disqualification of all its candidates for the 2027 general elections, challenging the competence of the case on several legal grounds.

The party argued that the suit filed by its National Secretary, Adebukola Ajaja, was statute-barred because it was instituted outside the 14-day period allowed under the law.

The legal dispute centres on allegations that the party's National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, and National Organising Secretary, ThankGod Kenechukwu, improperly handled the submission of candidates' nomination documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

Accord Challenges Court's Jurisdiction

In a preliminary objection filed through its counsel, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, the party also questioned the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

Adetunbi argued that issues relating to the nomination of candidates fell within the internal affairs of political parties.

He further challenged Ajaja's locus standi to institute the action, arguing that she was not an aspirant in the party's primary election conducted on May 29, 2026.

The lawyer also maintained that the suit was defective because the candidates whose nominations could be affected by the court's decision were not joined as parties.

According to him, the affected candidates should have been included to enable them to defend their interests.

The party also argued that the case was premature because the plaintiff allegedly failed to issue the required 21-day pre-action notice.

Party Defends Its Primary Election

Accord maintained that its primary election was conducted in accordance with relevant laws and party guidelines.

It said INEC had recognised the outcome of the exercise and that the party had submitted its candidates' lists to the electoral commission in the prescribed format.

The party also defended the authority of its National Chairman and National Organising Secretary to sign and submit the nomination documents in the absence of the National Secretary.

According to Accord, Article 18 of its constitution and Regulations 25(3) and 28(2) of INEC's Guidelines for Political Parties permitted the arrangement.

The party argued that neither the electoral guidelines nor its constitution required Ajaja to personally sign the forwarding letters in the circumstances.

It added that the National Executive had expressly authorised Mgbudem and Kenechukwu to jointly sign the documents.

Relying on the Supreme Court's decision in Jegede v. INEC, Accord further argued that the National Chairman's signature alone would have been sufficient to validate the submissions.

Chairman Accuses National Secretary of Abandoning Duties

In a counter-affidavit, Mgbudem disputed Ajaja's claim that her responsibilities had been taken over by the National Organising Secretary.

He alleged that the National Secretary had stopped attending meetings of the National Working Committee, including three consecutive meetings.

Mgbudem maintained that, as the party's National Chairman and chief executive, he had constitutional authority to sign documents on its behalf and assign specific responsibilities to other officers.

He cited Article 18(1) of the party's constitution, including the provision empowering him to assign specific functions to party members and officials.

The chairman also stated that the National Working Committee, at a meeting on May 24 under his leadership, resolved that he and Kenechukwu would jointly sign the forwarding letters for candidates who emerged from the primaries.

According to him, INEC recognised the primary election conducted on May 29 by the party's National Executive under the supervision of the National Working Committee.

He said the names of successful candidates for contested elective positions, except the presidential position for which the party did not conduct a primary, were subsequently submitted electronically to INEC.

Mgbudem also questioned Ajaja's handling of party funds and accused her of making inaccurate claims about the number of court cases arising from the primary election.

He stated that no fewer than 16 cases had been filed in connection with the exercise.

Court to Determine Validity of Candidate Submissions

The dispute raises questions about the authority of political party officials to submit candidates' nomination documents, the interpretation of party constitutions and the application of electoral regulations.

The Federal High Court will have to consider the preliminary objection and the substantive claims before determining the legal status of the disputed submissions.

Neither the party's arguments nor the allegations made by its National Secretary have been established as the court's final position.

The outcome could have implications for Accord Party's participation in the 2027 general elections, depending on the court's decision.

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