Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has expressed support for the potential participation of former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in the PDP’s 2027 presidential primary.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Kaduna through his media aide, Hassan Mahmoud, Olawepo-Hashim described the possible interest of the trio in the PDP ticket as a welcome development capable of reigniting the party’s founding ideals of inclusiveness and democratic competition.
According to him, “the more, the merrier.”
He stressed that a vigorous and engaging primary would not divide the PDP but instead help it re-establish itself as the true party of democracy in Nigeria.
Olawepo-Hashim recalled the PDP’s founding vision in 1998, noting that it was never intended to be a closed political club but a national platform built to accommodate all forms of opinion, ideology, and aspiration.
He recounted how, as secretary of the publicity subcommittee chaired by the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, a journalist first proposed the umbrella symbol that later became the party’s emblem.
He paid tribute to political leaders who shaped the PDP’s early trajectory, including the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Melford Okilo, Professor Jubril Aminu, and Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
“We had giants of Nigerian politics under one roof. Many of them had what it took to lead Nigeria, yet some stepped down and others went through a credible, competitive process, such as the Jos convention of 1999 that eventually produced Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the party’s candidate,” he recalled.
He argued that the PDP’s early strength came not from backdoor consensus or gatekeeping politics, but from a deep commitment to internal democracy and open competition. He commended the leadership of Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the party’s first interim national chairman, for keeping the PDP open to a wide spectrum of political actors during its formative years.
“Those who feared competition quietly exited the founding process. But we stayed the course, and Nigeria benefited from it,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim, who contested the 2019 presidential election, said the PDP must return to the principles of fairness, transparency, and unity upon which it was founded if it is to regain national relevance. He urged that the aspirations of Jonathan, Atiku, Obi, or any other candidates should be embraced as a sign of renewed political vitality.
“If Jonathan, Atiku, Obi, and others wish to contest, they should be welcomed. Let the best ideas and visions emerge through fair competition. That is how to build a party of the future,” he stated.
His remarks come amid heightened internal debates within the PDP on zoning, succession, and possible alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections. While Jonathan, Atiku, and Obi have not confirmed any return to the PDP or declared formal interest in the race, speculation about political realignments within the opposition remains strong.
