I’ve not been refunded my nomination fee, says Olawepo-Hashim

Former presidential aspirant and businessman, Gbenga 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. Olawepo-Hashim stated this in an interview with Trust TV on Tuesday while reacting to the ongoing dispute over the party’s presidential ticket, maintaining 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. “It is important to understand that what is happening in the Accord Party is not an isolated case. Virtually all the political parties are experiencing issues involving multiple candidates,” he said. Olawepo-Hashim criticised the framework adopted for party primaries, arguing that it contributed to disputes across political parties. “The framework for the primaries created the conditions for this confusion. I was one of those who spoke against that framework,” he said. Related News Atiku backed rotational presidency after June 12 annulment – SGF VIDEO: Oyo residents chanting ‘Jagaban 2027’ after receiving semovita Oborevwori reaffirms inclusive governance, promises