Accord national secretary asks court to disqualify party’s 2027 candidates over violation of constitution
Adebukola Ajaja, national secretary of the Accord Party, has asked the federal high court in Abuja to disqualify all candidates of the party for the 2027 general election over alleged violations of the party’s constitution and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2524/2026, was filed on October 21 through Edmund Biriomoni, her lawyer.
Ajaja served as member of the house of representatives for Ibadan north-east/Ibadan south-east in Oyo state from 2011 to 2015.
She alleged that Maxwell Mgbudem, the party’s national chairman, and ThankGod Kenechukwu, its national organising secretary, usurped her responsibilities in submitting the party’s candidates’ list to INEC.
INEC, the Accord Party, Mgbudem and Kenechukwu were listed as the first, second, third and fourth respondents, respectively.
In the suit, Ajaja said she was elected national secretary at the party’s convention on July 28, 2024, alongside other members of the national working committee, for a four-year tenure.
She added that the list of elected party executives was submitted to INEC on August 8, 2024.
She argued that the party’s constitution requires the national chairman and national secretary to jointly sign official correspondence, notices for meetings, congresses and conventions, as well as documents relating to party primaries.
According to her, the two officers are also authorised to jointly sign and submit candidates’ lists and forms to INEC for the 2027 elections.
Ajaja alleged that Mgbudem submitted a letter to INEC titled “Notification of Primaries for Governorship and State House of Assembly – 2027 General Elections”, dated August 27, 2026, without her involvement.
She further alleged that Mgbudem and Kenechukwu jointly signed letters titled “Submission of Accord Party Candidates EC9 Series Forms for 2027 General Election”, dated June 30, July 19 and August 5, 2026.
The applicant said she wrote to the respondents to complain about alleged violations of the party’s 2018 constitution and INEC guidelines in the submission of candidates for the elections.
She claimed the complaints were not addressed within the 21-day period stipulated by the party’s constitution.
Ajaja maintained that she remained the party’s valid national secretary and could not lawfully be replaced in the discharge of her duties by the national chairman or national organising secretary.
She asked the court to determine whether, under sections 29(1) and (2), and 82(1) and (6) of the Electoral Act 2026, alongside relevant provisions of INEC’s regulations and guidelines for political parties 2026, Mgbudem and Kenechukwu could lawfully sign and submit the party’s candidates’ documents without her.
She also asked the court to determine the validity of the August 27 letter notifying INEC of the party’s governorship and state assembly primaries, which she said was signed solely by Mgbudem.
The applicant is seeking a declaration that article 2 of the Accord Party constitution is binding on all party members and an order nullifying the submission of the party’s candidates’ documents to INEC by Mgbudem and Kenechukwu.
She also sought an interlocutory injunction restraining the party, Mgbudem, Kenechukwu and their agents from suspending, expelling or fining her.
