Gbenga Hashim Warns Wike Faction Against Factional Convention, Urges Unity
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Presidential hopeful on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has cautioned the faction loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, against staging another factional convention, warning that such a move could further fracture the party.
Olawepo-Hashim described the plan as a serious threat to the unity and survival of the PDP, stressing that both camps had earlier agreed to pursue a unity convention before the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal.
According to him, the reconciliation process was derailed by what he termed the activities of a “fifth columnist,” who allegedly sabotaged efforts in pursuit of external interests.
“I urge the Wike faction not to renege on the gentleman’s agreement already made. This is about the survival and integrity of the PDP,” he said.
The PDP chieftain also warned against alleged moves to tamper with the executive committees of state chapters, particularly in Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Kano States, noting that such actions would violate the party’s constitution.
He maintained that the tenures of state executives were fixed and could not be arbitrarily altered, cautioning against exporting the national leadership crisis into otherwise stable state structures.
Olawepo-Hashim identified the authentic state chairmen in the affected states as Hon. Raymond Dabo (Plateau), Hon. Adamu Ninga (Nasarawa), Hon. Edward Percy Masha (Kaduna), and Hon. Yusuf Ado Kibiya (Kano), insisting that their mandates must be respected.
He warned that imposing parallel structures in states without internal disputes could deepen the crisis and weaken the party’s cohesion ahead of future elections.
