ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the Accord Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has raised alarm over what he described as a dangerous drift in Nigeria’s political system, warning that the country is gradually returning to the authoritarian-style politics associated with the late General Sani Abacha era.
Hashim made the allegation in a strongly worded statement released ahead of the Accord Party presidential primary scheduled for May 30, 2026, where he also accused powerful political interests of plotting to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, there are deliberate attempts by influential actors within the political space to destabilise opposition structures and prevent credible challengers from emerging against the ruling establishment.
“Nigeria is being dragged back to the Abacha years,” he said, insisting that recent political developments reflect a coordinated effort to centralise power and shrink democratic competition.
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He further alleged that a top figure within the Accord Party was involved in internal manoeuvres aimed at disrupting the party’s stability and frustrating its chances of presenting a presidential candidate in the coming election cycle.
Hashim argued that the situation mirrors the Abacha-era political structure, where party activities were effectively controlled and opposition voices were neutralised under a dominant power arrangement.
“We are seeing a replay of history, when political parties became tools for a self-succession agenda,” he stated.
He also drew a direct link between the alleged plot and influential individuals within President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political circle, claiming there was a wider attempt to dominate the political landscape ahead of 2027.
According to him, such efforts would ultimately fail, just as similar political control strategies collapsed in the past.
“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 institutional tactics, including internal party interference and controversial electoral reforms.
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He specifically referenced the destabilisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and criticised aspects of the Electoral Act, describing them as self-serving and inconsistently applied by their promoters.
“They weakened the opposition, wrote the rules to favour themselves, and still refused to play by those rules,” he alleged.
Despite tensions within the Accord Party, Hashim insisted that the party’s presidential primary would go ahead as planned, stressing that preparations were already in place.
“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 with a defiant message, pledging that democratic forces would resist any attempt to undermine political pluralism in the country.
“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.