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 alleged violations of electoral laws and internal party procedures.
Ajaja is challenging the submission of the party’s candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the process was conducted without the participation of the party’s National Secretary.
In the suit, she alleges that the National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, and the National Organising Secretary, ThankGod Kenechukwu, took over the responsibilities of the National Secretary in submitting the party’s nomination documents.
The case, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/2524/2026, was filed on October 21, 2026, through her lawyer, Edmund Biriomoni.
The defendants are INEC, Accord Party, Mgbudem and Kenechukwu, listed as the first, second, third and fourth respondents, respectively.
Accord Party Candidate Submissions Under Challenge
Ajaja is asking the court to determine whether the Accord Party complied with the Electoral Act, 2026, its constitution and the applicable INEC regulations when submitting the names and nomination documents of its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The dispute centres on letters and EC9 series forms reportedly submitted to INEC on June 30, July 19 and August 5, 2026.
According to the applicant, the documents were jointly signed by the party’s National Chairman and National Organising Secretary rather than the National Chairman and National Secretary.
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.
Ajaja Cites Electoral Act and INEC Guidelines
In her suit, Ajaja is asking the court to interpret relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, alongside the 2026 INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
She specifically relies on Sections 29(1) and (2), as well as Sections 82(1) and (6) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
She also cites Articles 11(1) and (2), 12(2), 27(3), and 30(1) and (2) of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026.
The applicant argues that the combined provisions empower only a political party’s National Chairman and National Secretary to jointly sign and submit the relevant candidate nomination letters and EC9 forms.
She is consequently asking the court to declare that Mgbudem and Kenechukwu lacked the authority to jointly execute the disputed documents in place of the officials she identifies as legally empowered to perform the exercise.
Applicant Seeks Nullification of EC9 Forms
Among the reliefs sought, Ajaja wants 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 the binding authority of the party’s governing document within the organisation.
The applicant is also seeking an order setting aside the letters used to submit the party’s candidates to INEC and nullifying the accompanying EC9(A), EC9(B), EC9(C), EC9(D) and EC9(E) forms.
In addition, she wants the court to declare that the disputed submissions were made in violation of the relevant electoral laws and INEC guidelines.
Ajaja is further seeking a perpetual injunction to set aside and nullify the nomination letters dated June 30, July 19 and August 5, 2026, alongside the accompanying EC9 series forms.
She contends that the documents are invalid because they were jointly signed and submitted by the National Chairman and National Organising Secretary rather than the officials she says are authorised under the applicable rules.
What the Case Could Mean for Accord Party’s 2027 Candidates
If the court grants the requested reliefs, the ruling could affect the status of Accord Party candidates whose nomination documents were submitted through the disputed process.
The case also raises questions about compliance with political party constitutions, the authority of party officials and the procedures governing the submission of candidates’ nomination documents to INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the filing of the suit does not automatically disqualify the affected candidates or establish that the Accord Party violated electoral laws.
The court will have to examine the applicant’s arguments, the applicable legal provisions and any responses from the respondents before determining the matter.
The outcome will depend on the court’s interpretation of the relevant electoral provisions, INEC guidelines and the Accord Party constitution.