Amid growing tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former presidential candidate and one of the party’s founding figures, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has called for urgent reconciliation and a return to the party’s core values, warning that the stability of Nigeria’s democracy hangs in the balance.
Hashim made the appeal on Sunday after a faction of the PDP went ahead with a disputed National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, despite conflicting court orders and an existing judgment stopping the gathering. The incident has further highlighted the deepening divisions within the major opposition party.
Reflecting on the PDP’s origins 27 years ago, Hashim described its formation as a landmark act of political maturity. He recalled that the party emerged from the merger of more than 13 strong political groups, united through extensive dialogue, consultations, and a commitment to inclusion.
He noted that the architects of the PDP intentionally built a platform to guard against military rule, preserve Nigeria’s unity, and advance true federalism. According to him, this spirit of inclusion helped the PDP win nearly two-thirds of seats during the December 1998 local government elections, a victory that strengthened the country’s young democracy.
Hashim warned that the current trend of division, legal battles, and exclusionary politics represents a serious departure from these founding principles.
“Inclusion, not exclusion, is the PDP’s tradition,” he emphasized. “To save the PDP—and by extension, Nigeria’s democracy—we must bring everyone back to the table.”
He urged party leaders to make unity and reconciliation their priority, adopting the principle: “We must not leave anyone behind.”
Quoting the Bible, he reminded stakeholders that “to everything there is a season,” stressing that this is a time for healing, expansion, and rebuilding—not suspensions or expulsions.
With the PDP grappling with legal conflicts, factional moves, and internal distrust, Hashim’s intervention places renewed pressure on party leaders to end parallel structures and restore the party as a credible, united, and effective opposition capable of protecting Nigeria’s democratic future.
