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Presidential hopeful and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has declared that the party is the only political party in the country that cannot be controlled by a person or group.
Speaking during a live interview on the AIT Democracy Today, the PDP chieftain boasted about the party’s long-standing tradition of competitive primaries and respect for its constitution.
According to Olawepo-Hashim, even as a sitting president in 2003, Olusegun Obasanjo had to submit himself to a hotly contested primary election in his bid for re-election, facing strong challengers such as Barnabas Gemade, Abubakar Rimi, and Alex Ekwueme.
He noted that this mirrored the 1999 presidential primary of the PDP, which was also vigorously contested by candidates nationwide.
“PDP is the only democratic party in Nigeria that nobody or group can pocket. The party has always maintained an open space for competition, and that is why it has survived over two decades in a very difficult political environment,” Olawepo-Hashim said.
He added that this tradition of internal democracy has kept the party vibrant and made it a consistent platform for leaders committed to constitutionalism, rule of law, and national unity.
Olawepo-Hashim contrasted this with the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the ruling party neither debates issues internally nor holds regular meetings, and therefore lacks the capacity for collective problem solving.
“A party that discusses issues like PDP has a greater tendency to address Nigeria’s challenges than APC. Despite PDP’s own challenges, its achievements remain unmatched. APC has dragged the country backwards, and its rigid, top-down style is cast in iron, a sure recipe for stagnation,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim urged PDP members and Nigerians to defend and preserve the party’s democratic values, warning that replacing open competition with imposition would erode the PDP’s uniqueness and weaken Nigeria’s democratic progress.
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