A prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and 2023 presidential contender, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, asserted Thursday that the party’s long-plagued national convention will not proceed this weekend, as factional rifts demand urgent reconciliation to avert deeper divisions.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Hashim warned that forging ahead without resolving the leadership turmoil—exacerbated by court injunctions and internal sabotage—would spell disaster for the opposition giant. “There will be no convention this weekend because reconciliation among the parties is essential,” he said. “Proceeding now would only entrench factionalism within the PDP.”
Hashim, positioning himself as a 2027 presidential aspirant, revealed ongoing high-level consultations with governors, elders, and representatives from both the Damagum and Mohammed camps. “I’ve engaged key stakeholders, including governors and party leaders from all sides,” he said. “We cannot afford to fracture the PDP further. Measures are in motion for a unified convention.”
He floated the idea of a caretaker committee as a stopgap to guide the party through the impasse, crediting it as his longstanding proposal. “Discussions on a caretaker committee are advancing—that was my initial suggestion,” Hashim noted. “I’m not aligned with any faction; my priority is letting reason triumph and keeping the PDP as one political family.”
Hashim confirmed dialogues with acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum and factional rival Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, signaling tentative progress. “I’ve spoken directly with Chairman Damagum, Alhaji Mohammed, and other vital players,” he added. “An understanding is taking shape, and I’m confident all will convene soon.”
Tug-of-War Over Venue and Legality
The PDP’s 2025 elective convention, slated for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, has been mired in controversy. A Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim injunction last month, halting proceedings over alleged constitutional breaches and blocking figures like former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido from chairman bids—moves Hashim decried as a “choreographed plot” to neuter the opposition. 1 Yet, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and Convention Organizing Committee (NCOC) insisted Wednesday that the event remains on track, dismissing postponement rumors and welcoming delegates to Ibadan. 5 6 7
Hashim’s intervention underscores the PDP’s escalating crisis, pitting Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde’s anti-Wike bloc against loyalists of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. 8 The Board of Trustees (BoT), however, expressed optimism Thursday that a convention could still materialize, even as Hashim’s stance casts fresh doubt. 3
With the PDP’s internal fractures threatening its viability as Nigeria’s main opposition ahead of 2027 polls, Hashim’s call for unity highlights the high stakes: a divided party risks irrelevance in a landscape dominated by President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC).
