Accord Party chieftain Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has accused powerful political forces of dragging Nigeria back to the “dark days” of the Abacha era by weakening opposition parties ahead of 2027.
In a statement ahead of the Accord Party’s presidential primary on May 30, Hashim said influential figures are orchestrating internal moves to destabilise the party and block credible challengers to the ruling establishment.
“Nigeria is being dragged back to the Abacha years,” he said. “We are seeing a replay of history, when political parties became tools for a self-succession agenda.”
Hashim alleged that a top Accord Party chieftain is behind moves to frustrate the party’s ability to field a presidential candidate. He linked the plot to figures within President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the attempt to dominate the political space will fail.
“This coordinated plot by top officials will fail, just as the Abacha agenda failed,” he stated.
He also accused the political establishment of weakening opposition parties through legal and political strategies. According to him, this included destabilising the PDP, passing a self-serving Electoral Act, and failing to comply with its provisions.
“They weakened the opposition, wrote the rules to favour themselves, and still refused to play by those rules,” he said.
Despite the crisis, Hashim said the Accord Party’s presidential primary will hold as scheduled. He vowed that pro-democracy forces will resist any attempt to undermine political plurality.
“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 said.
