ABUJA — Presidential aspirant and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has distanced himself from the two major factions in the opposition, declaring that he does not belong to either the Atiku Abubakar or Nyesom Wike camps.Speaking as a guest on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, Olawepo-Hashim said his loyalty lies with principles and the Nigerian people, not political godfathers or power blocs.“I do not belong to any camp. I am Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim. I have always stood on my own political convictions and principles.
“With due respect to former governor Wike, I cannot be described as his political boy. Twenty-five years ago, when we were debating zoning and tenure extension within the PDP National Executive Committee, where was Wike in the party? At that time, I was already a Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, speaking at the highest levels of the party.“As for Waziri Atiku Abubakar, I also do not belong to his camp. Even when he was Vice President, we had clear political disagreements. I have never been one to simply follow political heavyweights for the sake of expediency,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim also stressed his rejection of the current push for zoning of the 2027 presidential ticket, saying such a policy would be unconstitutional and discriminatory.“My opposition to zoning the presidency is not because I want it to come to the North Central. I oppose it because it is against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution does not permit any political party to restrict elective offices such as the presidency to a particular region. That would be discriminatory,” he explained.
Citing historical precedents, he noted that in 1999, despite an informal agreement that power should shift to the South-West, candidates from other regions still contested, including Dr Alex Ekwueme from the South-East and Abubakar Rimi from the North-West.
“The danger of zoning is that it pits one section of the country against another. Nigerians are not interested in where the president comes from; they want a competent leader who can fix the economy and restore security,” he said.He further clarified that zoning is different from the federal character principle, which applies to appointments, not elective offices.“Federal character is affirmative action, meant to ensure inclusiveness in appointments such as ministerial positions, boards and commissions. It does not apply to a single elective office like the presidency,” he stated.
The former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP added that the party’s National Convention remains its highest authority and can overturn any zoning decision taken by the National Executive Committee (NEC). He warned that past attempts to impose exclusive presidential tickets had ended in electoral defeat.
Responding to questions on whether he would go to court if zoning is enforced, he said: “When it comes to fundamental human rights, it is not an internal party matter. The right to contest the presidency is open to every qualified Nigerian. To bar someone on the basis of region would be unconstitutional, and the courts would have jurisdiction.”
He, however, stressed that he preferred internal party solutions over litigation.On his movement across political parties, Olawepo-Hashim said his decisions were always based on principle, not opportunism.
“If I wanted greener pastures, I would have stayed in APC, the ruling party. Instead, I returned to PDP because I believe it remains the best platform to reform Nigeria,” he said.
Asked if he would run for president in 2027, he replied: “That is in God’s hands. No human being can determine that. For me, the priority now is defending the rights of Nigerians and ensuring the PDP follows the constitution. Whether or not I run is secondary.”He again criticised factional politics in the PDP, calling for a return to ideology-driven leadership.
“My loyalty has always been to principles; justice, equity, democracy and the development of Nigeria. That is where I stand. The camps in PDP today are largely built around personalities and ambitions, not ideology. But I believe Nigeria needs a return to ideology-driven politics where parties are differentiated by ideas, not just personalities,” he said.
