Former presidential candidate and Accord Party chieftain, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has alleged that Nigeria is regressing to the political climate of the late General Sani Abacha era, accusing powerful forces within the Tinubu administration of plotting to cripple opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued ahead of the Accord Party’s presidential primary scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026, Hashim claimed there were deliberate efforts by influential figures to weaken opposition platforms and prevent credible challengers from emerging.
“Nigeria is being dragged back to the Abacha years,” he said.
Hashim accused a senior member of the Accord Party of orchestrating internal manoeuvres to destabilise the party and frustrate its ability to field a presidential candidate. He drew parallels with the 1990s when all registered parties aligned behind a single power structure.
“We are seeing a replay of history, when political parties became tools for a self-succession agenda,” he stated.
The former candidate further linked the alleged plot to senior officials in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but insisted the plan would fail.
“This coordinated plot by top officials will fail, just as the Abacha agenda failed,” he said.
Hashim also accused the political establishment of systematically weakening opposition parties through what he described as manipulative legal and political strategies.
He cited the destabilisation of the Peoples Democratic Party and the enactment of an Electoral Act which he called “self-serving and obnoxious,” adding that some of its promoters failed to comply with its provisions before challenging aspects of the law in court.
“They weakened the opposition, wrote the rules to favour themselves, and still refused to play by those rules,” he alleged.
Despite the internal crisis, Hashim confirmed that the Accord Party presidential primary would proceed as scheduled. “The presidential primary of the Accord Party is scheduled for Saturday, May 30. We are prepared to participate, and by the Grace of God, it will hold,” he said.
He concluded by vowing that pro-democracy forces would resist attempts to undermine democratic values. “We shall not be discouraged. We shall not be intimidated. We fought for democracy, and by the Grace of God, we will defend it,” he declared.
