From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

A chieftain of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of  escalating the security in the country.

Hashim, who is a former presidential aspirant in the ruling party, said the party since the assumption office, has worsened the economy and security of the country.

The PDP chieftain,  speaking during an interaction , with journalists, in Abuja, at the weekend, said the APC functions more like an authoritarian platform than a political party.

According to him, “In the APC, one or two individuals hand down instructions for everyone else to obey like zombies. That is not a political party.

“They promised change, and indeed they brought change—by dragging Nigeria’s GDP from over $570 billion in 2014 to less than $300 billion in 2025. They crashed GDP per capita from over $3,000 to below $1,000. They also expanded insecurity from the North East to engulf the North West, North Central, and South East.”

Hashim, noted that in contrast, the the PDP, remains Nigeria’s “truly democratic party,” where divergent views and internal debates shape decisions. He stated that the recent show of solidarity in Zamfara, where PDP governors rallied behind the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, as evidence of the party’s consultative culture.

“The APC exists purely as a vehicle for personal ambition and power acquisition. The PDP, with its disagreements and reconciliations, is still the only party where internal debates influence outcomes. Nigerians must insist on genuine democratic processes if we are to secure better leadership,” he  said.