Olawepo-Hashim Dumps PDP, Warns Against Drift Toward One-Party State

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has resigned from the party with immediate effect, citing deepening internal crises and concerns over Nigeria’s democratic future.

Olawepo-Hashim, a founding convener of the PDP in 1998 and its first elected Deputy National Publicity Secretary, said the party has been engulfed in persistent turmoil for over a year, resulting in a complete split into two dominant factions.

In a resignation letter dated April 4, 2026, addressed to the PDP Chairman of Usuma Ward in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, and made available to Arise News, he alleged that the lingering crisis may have been deliberately orchestrated to weaken the opposition party.

According to him, the internal disarray could ultimately prevent the PDP from presenting credible candidates in the 2027 general elections or reduce it to a passive supporter of the ruling administration.

“I cannot, in good conscience, be complicit in actions that undermine democratic values,” he stated. “To remain in a system that appears to endorse a leadership record I fundamentally disagree with would be a betrayal of my principles and commitment to the Nigerian people.”

Olawepo-Hashim further warned against what he described as a growing risk of Nigeria sliding into a one-party state, vowing to continue advocating for a strong and credible opposition.