Accord Party Seeks Dismissal of Candidate Disqualification Lawsuit

The Accord Party has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a lawsuit filed by its own National Secretary, Adebukola Ajaja, which seeks to disqualify all party candidates for the 2027 general elections. Ajaja alleges that National Chairman Maxwell Mgbudem and National Organising Secretary Ibe Kenechukwu ThankGod usurped her authority by jointly signing and submitting candidate nomination documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission without her signature.

Ajaja argues that party rules and the Electoral Act 2026 require the joint signatures of both the chairman and the secretary. In response, the Accord Party, through counsel Musibau Adetunbi, argued that the action is statute-barred, premature, and lacks jurisdiction because it concerns internal party affairs. The party maintains that the National Working Committee authorized Mgbudem and ThankGod to co-sign the documents.

In a counter-affidavit, Maxwell Mgbudem accused Ajaja of abandoning her duties, missing three consecutive committee meetings, and mishandling party funds. The party asserts that neither the Constitution nor the regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission require the National Secretary to sign the forwarding letter.