Nigeria Sliding Back to Abacha Era, but We Will Defeat Them — Gbenga Hashim

Former presidential candidate and Accord Party chieftain, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has alleged that Nigeria is gradually drifting back to what he described as the “dark days” of the late General Sani Abacha era, accusing influential political actors of trying to cripple opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a strongly worded statement issued before the Accord Party presidential primary scheduled for May 30, 2026, Hashim claimed that deliberate efforts were being made to weaken opposition platforms and prevent credible challengers from emerging against the ruling establishment.

“Nigeria is being dragged back to the Abacha years,” he declared.

Hashim accused a top figure within the Accord Party of allegedly orchestrating internal moves aimed at destabilising the party and frustrating its plans to produce a presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

According to him, the current political climate mirrors the Abacha era, when registered political parties were allegedly aligned behind a single political agenda.

“We are seeing a replay of history, when political parties became tools for a self-succession agenda,” he said.

The former presidential candidate further linked the alleged political plot to influential individuals within President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that attempts to dominate the political space and suppress opposition would ultimately fail.

“This coordinated plot by top officials will fail, just as the Abacha agenda failed,” Hashim stated.

He also accused the political establishment of systematically weakening opposition parties through legal and political strategies designed to favour those in power.

According to him, this included the destabilisation of the Peoples Democratic Party and the implementation of what he described as a “self-serving and obnoxious” Electoral Act.

“They weakened the opposition, wrote the rules to favour themselves, and still refused to play by those rules,” he alleged.

Despite the internal challenges facing the Accord Party, Hashim maintained that the party’s presidential primary would proceed as planned on May 30.

“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.

In a defiant message to supporters, Hashim vowed that pro-democracy forces would resist any attempt to undermine democratic values and political plurality in Nigeria.

“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.