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Says open contest will strengthen party democracy
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
As the 2027 general elections draw closer, political alignments and realignments are gathering momentum within the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with former presidential candidate and party chieftain, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, calling for open and competitive presidential primaries.
Olawepo-Hashim, in a statement issued by his media aide, Hassan Mahmoud, threw his weight behind the speculated return of former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party standard-bearer, Mr Peter Obi, to the PDP presidential race.
Describing their potential re-entry as a welcome development, Olawepo-Hashim declared, “The more, the merrier.”
According to him, far from creating division or tension, a robust and competitive primary would restore the PDP’s reputation as the “true party of democracy in Nigeria.”
“The PDP was never meant to be an exclusive club. From day one, it was designed to be a national platform, a big umbrella for all shades of opinion, ideology, and aspiration,” Olawepo-Hashim said.
Reminiscing on the formation of the party in 1998, Olawepo-Hashim recalled his role as secretary of the publicity subcommittee, chaired by the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo, where a journalist first proposed the now-iconic umbrella symbol.
He hailed the spirit of unity and democratic competition that defined the PDP’s early days, citing the contributions of key political figures such as Dr Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Melford Okilo, Prof. Jubril Aminu, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, and others.
“We had giants of Nigeria’s political class under one roof—men who could have been good presidents. Yet, some dropped their ambition as things developed, and others submitted themselves to a fair contest in Jos in 1999, which attracted aspirants from North and South, a process which Olusegun Obasanjo eventually won,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim argued that the party’s strength during its formative years stemmed not from “backdoor consensus or gatekeeping politics” but from a commitment to free and fair internal democracy. He commended the inclusive leadership style of the PDP’s interim chairman at the time, Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, for keeping the doors open to all stakeholders.
“Those who feared competition quietly exited the founding process. But we pressed on, and Nigeria benefitted,” he noted.
Olawepo-Hashim emphasised that the PDP must return to its founding ethos if it intends to regain national relevance and offer Nigerians a credible alternative in 2027.
While the political futures of Jonathan, Atiku, and Obi remain subjects of intense speculation, Olawepo-Hashim maintained that any Nigerian with a vision and capacity should be welcomed into the race.
“If Jonathan, Atiku, Obi, and others wish to contest, they should be welcomed. Let the best ideas and visions emerge through fair competition. That is how to build a party of the future,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim’s intervention not only signals a broadening of the PDP’s internal space but may also set the stage for one of Nigeria’s most consequential presidential primaries in recent memory, a contest of political titans under one big umbrella.
Olawepo-Hashim’s remarks, analysts say, may also help reframe internal party discussions around inclusiveness, competition, and merit—values he insists are vital for the PDP to reconnect with Nigerians.
