By Teddy Nwanunobi
The North West zone members of the Hashim Progressives Movement (HPM) in North West zone have reaffirmed their support for Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the sole and legitimate presidential candidate of the Accord Party, while condemning alleged attempts to undermine his mandate.
This was even as Olawepo-Hashim, has dismissed claims that the Accord Party refunded his N50 million nomination fee, insisting that the money remains in the party’s account.
Speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday at Sahaba Hall in Rigasa, Kaduna, the North West Zonal Coordinator of HPM, Comrade Bashir Muhammad Goje Alade, alongside the Zonal Women Leader, Ambassador Aisha Ya’u Abdullahi, said party members across the region remain firmly committed to the outcome of the party's presidential primaries.
The gathering, attended by party stakeholders and supporters from Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Jigawa states, expressed concern over reports of efforts by certain individuals to alter the outcome of the Accord Party presidential nomination process.
According to the HPM leaders, Dr. Hashim emerged as the party's presidential candidate through a process conducted in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, and the Accord Party Constitution.
“Dr. Gbenga Olawepo Hashim remains the only legal and legitimate presidential candidate of the Accord Party. The mandate freely given to him by party delegates and members cannot be compromised or transferred through any form of manipulation,” Alade stated.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV on Tuesday while reacting to the ongoing dispute over the party’s presidential ticket, Olawepo-Hashim maintained that he remains the validly nominated candidate.
The former Peoples Democratic Party chieftain claimed that reports that his nomination fee had been returned were false.
“That is not true. They have never refunded my money. My money is still in their account. If it had been refunded, I would have seen it in my bank account. So that claim is false,” he said. He alleged that he was invited into the party by its national leadership and was assured that the process leading to the presidential primary would be conducted in accordance with the party’s guidelines. “When the National Chairman of the Accord Party came to meet me, he personally invited me to join the party. Don’t forget that I was in the PDP at the time. He even led a delegation to my office,” Olawepo-Hashim said.
He added that the party had issued a notice for its presidential primary and submitted the schedule to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“They subsequently submitted to INEC a schedule for the presidential primary, which was fixed for Thursday, and adequate notice was given. Under the guidelines, you cannot cancel such a notice unless you issue another notice at least seven days before the event,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim maintained that he had emerged as the party’s candidate and remained in the race. “Yes, I am still in the race. I have emerged as the candidate, and nobody can take that away,” he stated.
The former presidential aspirant also claimed that the crisis within the Accord Party reflects a broader challenge affecting several political parties.