Olawepo-Hashim
Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will be voted out of power in the 2027 general elections.
He insisted that Nigeria’s multiparty democracy cannot be subverted by legal or administrative tactics.
Olawepo-Hashim, a veteran of Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle, accused the APC-led government of deploying institutional and legal measures aimed at weakening opposition participation ahead of the next election cycle.
He told Vanguard that such actions pose serious concerns for the future of democratic competition in the country.
He warned that Nigeria had previously experienced similar attempts to undermine democracy, recalling the era of military dictatorship under the late General Sani Abacha.
He noted that those efforts ultimately failed, with democracy prevailing and the promoters of authoritarian rule ending in disgrace.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to political pluralism, the PDP chieftain said the country’s founding fathers deliberately adopted a multiparty system at independence and entrenched it in the constitution.
He said that no individual or group, regardless of influence or strategy, would succeed in dismantling that legacy.
Olawepo-Hashim cautioned against any drift toward authoritarianism, drawing parallels with Zaire under the late Mobutu Sese Seko, where prolonged one-man rule weakened democratic institutions and stifled political freedoms.
He maintained that neither one-man rule nor one-party dominance would be tolerated in Nigeria.
He also raised concerns over what he described as selective administrative practices in the registration of political parties.
According to him, while some qualified political associations have remained stalled in the process, others perceived to be aligned with the ruling party were allegedly granted interim recognition.
Describing these developments as warning signs of democratic backsliding, Olawepo-Hashim called on Nigerians, as well as the international community, to remain vigilant in defending democratic norms.
He urged lovers of democracy worldwide to consider lawful and targeted accountability measures—based on credible evidence and due process—such as travel restrictions and asset freezes against individuals accused of undermining Nigeria’s multiparty system.
He emphasized that democracy can only be protected through transparency, accountability and strict adherence to constitutional principles, expressing confidence that Nigerians would ultimately defend democracy and remove the APC from power peacefully and constitutionally through the ballot in 2027.
