Former presidential candidate Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has declared that efforts to undermine the Peoples Democratic Party through legal and political means will fail. He emphasized Nigeria's longstanding commitment to multiparty democracy, drawing parallels to past failed attempts at power consolidation. In a statement from Kaduna, he affirmed the PDP's resolve amid these challenges.
Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a former presidential aspirant, issued a firm statement on December 17, 2025, in Kaduna, rejecting attempts to erode Nigeria's multiparty system. He described these moves as "legal and political subterfuges sponsored by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)," insisting that no single party can dominate power in the country.
Hashim highlighted Nigeria's historical embrace of political pluralism since independence. He noted that even during the First Republic, power was not concentrated in one entity. In the North, alongside Sir Ahmadu Bello's Northern People's Congress, parties like Aminu Kano's Northern Elements Progressive Union, J.S. Tarka's Middle Belt Congress, and Sir Kashim Ibrahim's Borno People's Union held significant sway. In the South West, the Action Group vied with the National Council of Nigerian Citizens and regional groups such as the Ibadan People's Party.
"Nigeria has always been committed to multiparty democracy," Hashim stated. "Even in the First Republic, political power was never concentrated in the hands of one man or one party. Our democracy has never been a democracy of one star flying in its firmament. In our sky are thousands of stars."
He compared the current climate to General Sani Abacha's unsuccessful 1990s bid to position himself as the sole candidate across all parties. While Abacha targeted personal dominance, today's efforts aim to weaken opposition parties like the PDP to prevent credible challengers. "We are living witnesses to the failure of that plot," Hashim said, predicting a similar collapse for the present agenda.
Reflecting on his role in domestic resistance against military rule, Hashim mentioned his presence at Fort IBB on June 8, 1998, amid tense military activities. He contrasted this with critics abroad, asserting that the fight occurred within Nigeria. "The same God who granted us the grace to witness the collapse of the Abacha plot will also help us see the end of the APC-or-no-other-party agenda," he concluded, expressing unshakeable confidence in democracy's resilience.
