Court Asked to Disqualify All Accord Party Candidates for 2027 Elections

A member of the Accord Party, Adebukola Ajaja, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the disqualification of all candidates presented by the party for the 2027 general elections over an alleged breach of electoral laws and the party’s internal procedures.

Ajaja is challenging the submission of the party’s candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She argues that the process was handled without the participation of the party’s National Secretary, whose role she claims was taken over by the National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, and the National Organising Secretary, ThankGod Kenechukwu.

The suit, with number FHC/ABJ/CS/2524/2026, was filed on October 21, 2026, through her lawyer, Edmund Biriomoni.

The legal action names INEC as the first respondent, Accord Party as the second respondent, Mgbudem as the third respondent, and Kenechukwu as the fourth respondent.

In the suit, Ajaja is asking the court to determine whether the party complied with the Electoral Act, 2026, its constitution, and the regulations governing political parties when it submitted the names and nomination documents of its candidates for the next general elections.

The dispute centres on letters and EC9 series forms reportedly submitted to INEC on June 30, July 19, and August 5, 2026.

Ajaja contends that the documents were jointly signed by the party’s National Chairman and National Organising Secretary instead of the National Chairman and National Secretary, whom she argues are the officials authorised to carry out the exercise.

She maintains that the alleged irregularity raises questions about the validity of the documents used to present the party’s candidates to the electoral commission.

Among the reliefs sought, Ajaja is asking the court to affirm the supremacy of the Accord Party constitution over its members and organs.

She relies on Article 2 of the party’s constitution, which she says establishes its binding authority within the organisation.

She also wants the court to interpret the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, alongside the 2026 INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, particularly those relating to the submission of candidates’ nomination documents.

Part of the reliefs sought reads, “A DECLARATION that, by the combined provisions of Sections 29(1) & (2), 82(1) & (6) of the Electoral Act, 2026, Articles 11(1) and (2), 12(2), 27(3), 30(1) and (2) of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026, it is only the National Chairman and National Secretary of a Political Party who are empowered to jointly signed and submit the letters captioned ‘submission of Accord’s Party Candidates EC9 Series Forms for 2027 General Election’ dated 30th June, 2026, 19th July, 2026 and 5th August, 2026 respectively and Forms EC9(A), EC9(B), EC9(C), EC9(D), EC9(E) respectively to the 1st Defendant.”

Ajaja further argues that the National Chairman and National Organising Secretary lack the authority to jointly execute the documents in question in place of the two officials she identifies as legally empowered to submit them.

She is therefore asking the court to declare that the actions of Mgbudem and Kenechukwu were not valid under the cited electoral provisions and INEC guidelines.

The applicant also seeks an order setting aside the letters used to submit the party’s candidates and nullifying the accompanying EC9(A), EC9(B), EC9(C), EC9(D) and EC9(E) forms.

In her request for injunctive relief, she stated, “AN ORDER OF PEPERTUAL INJUNCTION setting aside and nullifying the letters captioned ‘submission of Accord’s Party Candidates EC9 Series Forms for 2027 General Election’ dated 30th June, 2026, 19th July, 2026 and 5th August, 2026 respectively and Forms EC9(A), EC9(B), EC9(C), EC9(D), EC9(E) respectively jointly signed by the 3rd and 4th Defendants of the 2nd Defendant to the 1st Defendant in flagrant non-compliance with Sections 29(1) & (2), 82(1) & (6) of the Electoral Act, 2026, Articles 10(3), 11(2), 24(3), 28(2) of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026 as same are invalid, null and void,” she said.

The request, if granted, could affect the status of Accord Party candidates whose nomination documents were submitted through the disputed process.

However, the filing of the suit does not automatically invalidate the candidates or establish that the party violated the law.

The court will have to consider the arguments, the applicable legal provisions, and any responses filed by the respondents before determining the matter.

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