Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Gbenga Hashim, has predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be removed from power in the 2027 general elections.
Referring to growing concerns in the polity over alleged pre-election manipulations by the Tinubu Administration, Hashim, a long-standing figure in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement, insisted that no “legal or administrative manoeuvres” can derail Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
The PDP presidential hopeful alleged that the ruling APC is engaging in legal and institutional actions aimed at weakening the opposition’s participation ahead of the next election cycle, describing the situation as part of a broader pattern that raises serious concerns about the future of democratic competition in the country.
According to him, such developments mirror past attempts to undermine political pluralism in Nigeria, efforts he said were ultimately defeated by the collective will of the people.
“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.
The PDP chieftain 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.
“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 by the Grace of God,” he said.
Hashim warned against any drift toward authoritarianism, drawing parallels with the political history of 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 Sese Seko,” he added, expressing concern over what he described as “selective administrative decisions in the political party registration process”.
Hashim alleged that while some qualified political associations have reportedly stalled in the process, others perceived to be aligned with the ruling party have received interim recognition.
He described these trends as warning signs of democratic backsliding, calling on Nigerians and the international community to remain vigilant in defence of democratic norms in Nigeria.
Hashim urged “lovers of democracy across the world” to consider lawful and targeted accountability measures against individuals allegedly working to undermine Nigeria’s multiparty system.
According to him, such measures, where supported by credible evidence and due process, could include travel restrictions and the freezing of assets.
He emphasized that his concerns extend to the conduct of political actors and institutions, stressing that democracy can only be safeguarded through transparency, accountability, and strict adherence to constitutional principles.
Hashim concluded by expressing confidence that, despite current challenges, Nigerians would rise to defend democracy and remove the APC from power peacefully, constitutionally, and through the ballot in 2027.
-Sunday Sun
