Gbenga Olawepo Hashim has urged the PDP to reconcile urgently as internal disputes intensify.
He warned that deepening division threatens the party’s founding ideals and Nigeria’s broader democratic stability.
As internal disputes deepen within the Peoples Democratic Party, former presidential candidate and founding member Gbenga Olawepo Hashim has appealed for immediate reconciliation and a return to the party’s founding values. He warned that the growing division poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic stability.
Hashim released his statement on Sunday as one faction of the PDP went ahead with a controversial National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. The gathering proceeded despite conflicting court orders and an existing judgment restraining the faction from holding the event. The move has further exposed the widening rift inside the opposition party.
Reflecting on the PDP’s beginnings twenty seven years ago, Hashim described the party’s creation as one of the most significant moments of political maturity in Nigeria’s history. He recalled that more than thirteen strong political associations came together through dialogue, extensive consultation and a commitment to inclusion to establish a united platform.
He explained that the founding leaders intentionally built a party capable of discouraging military rule, preserving national unity and strengthening federalism. This inclusive structure, he said, was responsible for the PDP’s early electoral success, including winning almost two thirds of local government seats in the December 1998 elections. According to him, that victory played a major role in helping stabilise Nigeria’s democracy.
Hashim said the current situation, marked by fragmentation, legal confusion and exclusionary politics, is a dangerous shift away from the party’s original vision. He warned that the PDP was built on openness and dialogue, not division. He urged party members to return to the negotiating table to protect the party and safeguard the country’s democratic future.
He insisted that rebuilding the PDP requires unity, sincere reconciliation and a commitment to ensuring that no member or group is pushed aside. He reminded leaders that this must be the guiding principle going forward.
Hashim also pointed to scripture to underline his message, citing the verse that says every season has a purpose. He noted that this is not the time for expulsion or further division but a moment to reconcile, welcome new members and save the PDP in order to protect Nigeria’s democracy.
As the PDP grapples with legal battles, parallel activities and internal distrust, Hashim’s message increases pressure on stakeholders to abandon factionalism and rebuild the party as a strong and credible opposition able to defend democratic governance.
