Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has criticized the party’s decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, describing it as a subtle endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today shortly after the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday, Olawepo-Hashim argued that the move was “unprecedented” in the party’s history.
“Zoning the presidency to the South is a default campaign for the return of President Bola Tinubu because those who are mounting this campaign of zoning to the South are the same people who are saying we are in PDP, but we work for President Tinubu,” he stated.
He contended that the resolution effectively excluded other regions, weakening the PDP’s ability to present a competitive candidate. “It’s a default campaign for the PDP not to have a viable candidate by those people. So this is a subtle campaign for an easy ride of Bola Tinubu’s re-election,” he added.
Citing historical examples, Olawepo-Hashim insisted the PDP had never barred any region from contesting the presidency. “The PDP has never zoned the presidency before. In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was then General Obasanjo, contested against Alhaji Rimi from Northern Nigeria and Dr Alex Ekwueme, among others. In 2003, as a sitting president, Obasanjo contested again with Chief Barnabas Gemade from Benue and Alhaji Rimi from Kano. The party never shut the door against any zone,” he said.
Although he acknowledged the decision was reached democratically, he maintained it was a “big error.” Olawepo-Hashim further warned that the zoning arrangement could spark a constitutional crisis, arguing that it violates the Nigerian Constitution.
“The constitution of Nigeria does not allow you to discriminate against a party member when it comes to an elective position on account of where he comes from. Any party member who is interested can go to court and say, I was shut out by the zoning policy. And on account of that, the party candidate can be struck down,” he cautioned.
Despite his strong criticism, he expressed optimism that the PDP might reverse the decision, pointing to the party’s “self-correcting mechanism” and citing past NEC resolutions that were overturned at national conventions.
What you should know
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a PDP chieftain and 2019 presidential aspirant, has long been outspoken about internal party democracy and fairness in Nigeria’s political landscape.
His latest criticism of the PDP’s zoning decision underscores growing internal divisions ahead of the 2027 elections and raises concerns about the party’s ability to challenge President Tinubu’s potential re-election bid.
