The Accord Party has urged the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking the disqualification of all its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The party, in a preliminary objection filed before the court, faulted the competence of the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CV/2524/2026, filed by its National Secretary, Adebukola Ajaja, on the grounds that it is statute-barred, having been instituted outside the 14 days allowed under the law.
The party, in the objection filed through its lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, also queried the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case, which it argued relates to the nomination of candidates, an issue that falls within the internal affairs of a political party.
The Accord Party, while questioning the plaintiff’s locus standi to file the suit on the grounds that she was not an aspirant in the primary election conducted on May 29, also faulted the competence of the suit for failure to include necessary parties.
It argued that while the plaintiff wants the court to nullify the nomination of its candidates, none of the candidates who would be affected by the outcome of the suit was joined as a party to afford them the opportunity to be heard.
The party also faulted the competence of the suit on the grounds that it was allegedly premature because the plaintiff failed to serve it with the required 21 days’ pre-action notice.
Accord, listed as the second defendant in the suit, argued that its primary election was conducted in accordance with all relevant laws and guidelines, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had since recognised its outcome and the list of candidates duly submitted to the electoral umpire in the prescribed format.
It further argued that, contrary to the plaintiff’s contention, the National Chairman and the National Organising Secretary could validly sign and submit candidates’ lists and forms to INEC in the absence of the National Secretary, in line with Article 18 of the party’s constitution and Regulations 25(3) and 28(2) of INEC’s guidelines.
The Accord Party added that: ‘INEC Regulations and Guidelines for political parties did not, in any way, specify that the plaintiff herein must sign the forwarding letter, neither did the Constitution of the second defendant require her (the plaintiff) to sign.
‘The National Executives of the party expressly authorised the fourth defendant to co-sign with the third defendant. No wrong has been done,’ the party said.
Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Jegede v. INEC, the party argued that even if only its National Chairman had signed, ‘the plaintiff’s case is still bound to fail because the signature of the National Chairman suffices on the authority of Jegede v. INEC.’
Accord Party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, stated in a counter-affidavit that, contrary to the plaintiff’s claim that her responsibilities were usurped by the National Organising Secretary, she had actually abandoned her duties.
Mgbudem, who queried the plaintiff’s handling of the party’s funds, accused her of making false claims about the number of cases pending in court in relation to the primary election, stating that no fewer than 16 cases had been filed.
He said: ‘The plaintiff is the National Secretary, but she had stopped attending the meetings of the National Working Committee, which, under our party’s constitution, comprises the National Executive Officers.
‘She did not attend the past three consecutive National Working Committee meetings. As the Chief Executive of the second defendant, I can sign any document on behalf of the party, except where either the National Executive Council or the Convention sees the need for the contrary.
‘By virtue of Article 18(1) of the Accord Constitution, I am the Chief Executive of Accord and, by virtue of Article 18(1)(v), I have the power to ‘assign specific functions to any member or officer of the party.’
‘On May 24, 2026, the National Working Committee, under my leadership, met and resolved that I, as the National Chairman, and Elder Ibe Kenechukwu ThankGod, the National Organising Secretary, should co-sign the forwarding letter of the aspirants who are eventually successful.
‘INEC recognised the primary election conducted on May 29, 2026, by the National Executive of the party under the supervision of the National Working Committee.
‘After the successful completion of all the primaries for contested elective positions, except the presidential election (for which the party did not conduct any primary election), Mr Ibe and I forwarded the names of all our successful candidates electronically to INEC.
‘Electronic submissions of all INEC forms, other than the letters, do not require physical signing of all the forms due to the large number of participating political parties and the extremely large number of candidates participating in the 2027 General Elections,’ he said.