Politics

Olawepo-Hashim backs Jonathan, Atiku, Obi for PDP presidential race

Published

1 year ago

August 7, 2025

A former presidential candidate and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has declared support for the possible return of former President Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, to the PDP’s presidential primary race.

Hashim, in a statement on Thursday in Kaduna through his media aide, Hassan Mahmoud, described the potential interest of the trio in the PDP’s 2027 ticket as a welcome development that could rekindle the party’s founding ideals of inclusiveness and democratic contest.

“The more, the merrier,” Hashim said, adding that “a robust and competitive primary will not divide the PDP, rather, it will reassert its credentials as the true party of democracy in Nigeria.”

He recalled the founding vision of the party in 1998, stressing that the PDP was not created as an exclusive political club but a “national platform and a big umbrella” accommodating all shades of opinion, ideology, and aspiration.

Hashim said, “From the beginning, the PDP was designed to be a home for all. I remember vividly, as secretary of the publicity subcommittee, chaired by the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, how a journalist first proposed the umbrella symbol which became iconic to the party.”

He paid glowing tribute to political heavyweights who shaped the PDP’s early trajectory, including the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Melford Okilo, Prof. Jubril Aminu, and Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, among others.

“We had giants of Nigerian politics under one roof. Many of them had what it took to lead Nigeria, yet some stepped down and others went through a credible, competitive process, such as the Jos convention of 1999 that eventually produced Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the party’s candidate,” he said.

According to him, the PDP’s formative strength came not from “backdoor consensus or gatekeeping politics,” but from its firm commitment to internal democracy and open contest.

He particularly hailed the leadership style of Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the PDP’s first interim national chairman, for keeping the party’s door open to a broad range of political actors during its early years.

“Those who feared competition quietly exited the founding process. But we stayed the course, and Nigeria benefited from it,” he stated.

Hashim, who was a presidential candidate in the 2019 elections, argued that for the PDP to reclaim national relevance, it must rediscover and recommit to its foundational principles of fairness, competition, and unity.

He noted that the prospect of Jonathan, Atiku, Obi or any other aspirant contesting the 2027 ticket should not be viewed with suspicion but embraced as a healthy sign of political vibrancy.

“If Jonathan, Atiku, Obi and others wish to contest, they should be welcomed. Let the best ideas and visions emerge through fair competition. That is how to build a party of the future,” he declared.

Hashim’s remarks appear to come at a time of growing internal debate within the PDP over zoning, leadership succession, and possible alliances ahead of the 2027 polls.

While none of the three men mentioned—Jonathan, Atiku, or Obi—has publicly declared a formal return to the PDP or interest in the presidential race, speculations have continued to mount over possible comebacks, defections, or political realignments within the opposition.

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Politics

Adeleke Maintains Lead As Collation Of Osun Governorship Results Continues

Published

13 hours ago

August 15, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The current Governor of Osun State and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, is holding a commanding lead in the ongoing collation of results from Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

According to Punch, a check on the Nigeria Elections Intelligence System showed that with results in from 303 of the state’s 332 wards, Adeleke had amassed 177,572 votes, representing 50.5 per cent of the total.

His closest rival, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, trailed with 158,588 votes, or 45.1 per cent, putting the incumbent firmly ahead as collation neared its final stretch.

Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) occupied a distant third position with 5,917 votes at the time of filing this report.

Data from the exercise showed that of the 845,100 registered voters in Osun State, only 361,500 were accredited, putting voter turnout at 42.8 per cent.

Of the votes cast, 351,500 were declared valid, while 7,200 ballots were thrown out as rejected.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that 43.41 per cent of the state’s polling units had submitted their results by the time collation entered its concluding phase.

INEC’s Returning Officer for the state is expected to formally declare a winner at the state collation centre once results from all outstanding wards have been received.

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Politics

Osun Election: Tension As Accord Agent Accuses APC Of Monitoring Voters

Published

13 hours ago

August 15, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Security forces were forced to intervene and calm the situation after tension arose at AUD Primary School, Atile, Ikire, in Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State.

It was gathered that some voters protest the alleged clustering of party agents around the voting area.

Ajayi Ayodele, identified as an Accord Party agent, claimed that agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are allegedly monitoring voters as they cast their ballots.

This allegation generated concern among some voters at the polling location, prompting security personnel to step in and restore calm.

Following the intervention of security operatives, voting continued at the polling unit.

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Politics

Gov. Adeleke Wins His Polling Unit For Accord Party

Published

13 hours ago

August 15, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has been declared the winner of his polling unit 009, Abogunde/Sagba, Ede North Local Government.

According to results announced by the Presiding Officer, Adebimpe Susan Dunsin, Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, scored 421 votes to defeat other contestants.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, won 29 votes while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, got only one vote

Only 457 of the 1082 voters registered at the unit came out to cast their vote, and voting concluded at 4:15pm.

Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke on Saturday, condemned the arrest of the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Sunday Bisi.

Naija News reports that Adeleke, who is a former member of the political party, called for his immediate release.

Adeleke, in a statement released through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, disclosed that Bisi was arrested at his residence in Ilesa shortly after returning from voting.

According to the Governor, it came to his notice that the PDP chairman was taken to an undisclosed location, adding that no reason was given for his arrest.

Governor stated that Bisi’s arrest is an attempt to intimidate his supporters.

Adeleke, who is contesting on the platform of the Accord Party, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of working with compromised security agents to restrict voters from monitoring the collation of election results.

He stated, “This latest sweep on my supporters, I have authoritatively learnt, is part of a broader plan to give the APC unhindered access to change results at collation centres and upturn our wins at the poll.”

He called for the immediate release of Bisi and other persons he described as political prisoners across Osun State.

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