2027: Olawepo-Hashim Backs Return of Jonathan, Atiku, Obi to PDP, Urges Open Contest
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim backs possible PDP return of Jonathan, Atiku, and Obi ahead 2027 elections.
He urges open primaries, saying competition strengthens democracy and restores party’s inclusive founding legacy.
As political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, former presidential candidate and prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) figure, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has voiced strong support for the speculated return of former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Labour Party standard bearer Peter Obi to the PDP.
In a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Hassan Mahmoud, Hashim described the potential reentry of the trio as a welcome development, asserting that their involvement would only deepen democratic engagement within the party. “The more, the merrier,” he remarked, stressing that a transparent and competitive presidential primary would reinvigorate the PDP’s democratic legacy.
Hashim emphasized that the PDP was originally conceived as an inclusive, national platform accommodating a wide spectrum of political beliefs and aspirations. “The PDP was never designed to be an exclusive club,” he said. “It was created to be a broad-based movement a big umbrella for all Nigerians.”
Reflecting on the party’s founding in 1998, Hashim recalled his role as Secretary of the publicity subcommittee led by the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo. He noted that the now-iconic umbrella symbol was proposed by a journalist during their sessions. He also paid tribute to the founding political heavyweights including Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, and others who built the PDP through open competition and internal democracy.
“In Jos in 1999, some founders shelved personal ambition, while others entered the race in a fair and transparent manner, eventually producing President Olusegun Obasanjo,” Hashim said. “That was the PDP’s strength openness and fair play, not backdoor consensus or exclusion.”
He lauded the inclusive leadership style of the party’s first interim chairman, Chief Solomon Lar, crediting him with keeping the platform accessible to all willing participants. “Those who feared competition quietly stepped aside. The rest of us stayed the course, and Nigeria was better for it,” he noted.
Hashim’s remarks come as speculation swirls around a potential mega-contest in the PDP, one that could feature some of Nigeria’s most experienced political figures. He urged the party to embrace its founding principles of fairness and internal democracy as the 2027 race draws near.
“If Jonathan, Atiku, Obi, or any others wish to contest under the PDP, they should be welcomed,” he said. “Let the best vision emerge through fair competition. That’s how to build a party for the future.”
