A former presidential candidate and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy is at risk if the lingering crisis within the party is not urgently resolved.
Olawepo-Hashim issued the warning in a statement made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Kwara State, following the controversial PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, by a faction of the party despite multiple conflicting court orders.
It was earlier reported that the faction proceeded with the convention despite a subsisting judgment expressly restraining it, deepening internal divisions and widening the rift within the main opposition party.
Reflecting on the PDP’s formation 27 years ago, Olawepo-Hashim said the party’s founding represented a rare moment of political consensus.
He recalled that the PDP emerged from the merger of more than 13 political associations built through “dialogue, broad consultation, and a deep spirit of inclusion.”
Olawepo-Hashim said, ”The founding fathers of the PDP deliberately built a platform capable of preventing further military intervention in governance, safeguarding national unity, and strengthening federalism.
“This inclusive foundation gave the PDP an early advantage, enabling it to win nearly two-thirds of elective positions in the December 1998 local government elections, a milestone that helped stabilise Nigeria’s returning democratic order in 1999.”
He expressed concern that the party has now drifted from its core values, saying the ongoing “fragmentation, court-induced confusion, and exclusionary politics” contradict the principles that once made it a strong national institution.
“Inclusion, not exclusion, is the tradition of the PDP.
“We must strive to bring all sides back to the table to save the PDP and save Nigeria’s democracy,” he said, urging leaders to prioritise unity and meaningful reconciliation.
Olawepo-Hashim stressed that the current period should be one of dialogue, not expulsion. “We must not leave anyone behind,” he added.
The PDP, once regarded as Africa’s largest political party, has faced major internal fractures since losing the presidency in 2015, with leadership tussles, factional conventions, and conflicting court rulings further weakening its national cohesion.
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