Former presidential aspirant Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has vowed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be removed from power in 2027.
Speaking via a statement, he alleged that the ruling party was engaging in illegal and institutional actions to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 election.
However, Olawepo-Hashim boasted that even the late military dictator, Sani Abacha could not stop democracy from prevailing.
He insisted that no legal or administrative manoeuvres could derail Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart described these developments as part of a broader pattern that raised concerns about the future of democratic competition in the country.
“We have travelled this road before under Abacha’s dictatorship, and it ended in victory for the forces of genuine democracy, while the plotters of one-man rule were disgraced,” Hashim stated.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multiparty democracy, noting that the nation’s founding fathers deliberately chose political pluralism at independence and embedded it in the country’s constitutional framework.
He said: “Our founding fathers opted for multiparty democracy, and by the grace of God, that legacy will be preserved. No group, no matter how clever or determined, will succeed in destroying Nigeria’s democratic system.”
Olawepo-Hashim warned against any drift toward authoritarianism, drawing parallels with Zaire under the late Mobutu Sese Seko, where prolonged one-man rule eroded democratic institutions.
“One-man rule or one-party rule will not happen here. This is Nigeria. We will not allow anyone to reduce our democracy to a tragic parody, as was the case with Zaire under Mobutu,” he added.
He also expressed concern over what he described as selective administrative decisions in the political party registration process.
Olawepo-Hashim alleged that while some qualified political associations had stalled in the process, others perceived to be aligned with the ruling party had received interim recognition.
Describing these trends as warning signs of democratic backsliding, he called on Nigerians and the international community to remain vigilant in defending democratic norms.
He urged “lovers of democracy across the world” to consider lawful and targeted accountability measures, supported by credible evidence and due process, including travel restrictions and asset freezes against individuals allegedly undermining Nigeria’s multiparty system.