***Warn Against Moves to Alter Presidential Ticket
A coalition of Accord Party stakeholders and members of the Hashim Progressives Movement (HPM) from the North-West has issued a strong warning against what it described as attempts to tamper with the party’s presidential mandate, insisting that Dr. Gbenga Olawepo Hashim remains the only validly nominated presidential candidate of the party.
The declaration was made on Tuesday during a well-attended press conference in Kaduna, where party loyalists from Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states gathered to publicly reaffirm their support for Hashim’s candidacy.
Speaking on behalf of the group, North-West Zonal Coordinator of HPM, Comrade Bashir Muhammad Goje Alade, accused unnamed interests of plotting to overturn the outcome of the Accord Party’s presidential primary, warning that any attempt to impose another candidate would amount to a betrayal of party members and an attack on internal democracy.
According to him, Hashim’s emergence followed a lawful and transparent process conducted in line with the Electoral Act, the Nigerian Constitution and the party’s internal guidelines.
“We are here to defend the mandate freely given by Accord Party members. Dr. Gbenga Olawepo Hashim remains the sole, legitimate presidential candidate produced by our party, and that mandate cannot be manipulated or traded away,” he said.
The group expressed concern over reports of alleged behind-the-scenes efforts aimed at influencing the party’s presidential ticket, describing such moves as dangerous to party unity and democratic principles.
Members argued that delegates across the North-West and other parts of the country voted with conviction during the primaries and that their collective decision must be respected.
They maintained that any attempt to substitute the candidate outside the established legal framework would undermine the credibility of the party and disenfranchise loyal members who participated in the nomination process.
The stakeholders also condemned what they termed “political merchants” seeking to turn the party’s presidential ticket into a bargaining tool, insisting that Accord Party must remain committed to transparency, fairness and the rule of law.
In a strongly worded communiqué issued after the meeting, the group rejected alleged plots to convene secret meetings or pursue backdoor arrangements capable of altering the outcome of the primary election.
They called on the National Working Committee of the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and democracy advocates to ensure that the wishes of party members are not subverted.
The North-West leaders further pledged to mobilise supporters across the region in defence of what they described as the legitimate mandate of the party’s presidential candidate.
They urged members to remain calm and focused despite ongoing speculations, assuring them that lawful and democratic means would be employed to protect the outcome of the primaries.
The intervention by the North-West bloc is expected to intensify discussions within the Accord Party as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
For the stakeholders gathered in Kaduna, however, the message was unmistakable: the presidential ticket, they insist, belongs to Dr. Gbenga Olawepo Hashim, and any effort to alter that reality will face stiff resistance from the party’s grassroots membership.