*As FCT PDP stakeholders endorse Olawepo-Hashim, reject zoning to south

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The dust raised by the Monday zoning of the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party to the South is yet to settle, as one of the presidential aspirants of the party from the north, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has vowed to petition the national convention of the party.

Olawepo-Hashim who insisted that the national convention has the final say in the zoning, cited instances where the decision of the NEC was turned down by the National convention.

According to Olawepo Hashim, ” this zoning decision will not stand. In year 2000, the NEC made a decision to extend the tenure of the National Working Committee, NWC led by Engr. Barnabas Gemade from two years to four years. I was then, the deputy national Publicity Secretary.

” I led the G54 members of the NEC, and we tabled out petition to the national convention and the decision of the decision of the NEC was turned down.”

Zoning the party’s presidential ticket to either North or S south is undemocratic. It would serve the party no good to shut some people out.

According to Olawepo Hashim, while addressing media Tuesday in Abuja. , ” In 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo contested against Alex Ekwueme and Abubakar Romi. In 2003, Again, Obasanjo contested against Ekwueme and Rimi.

”Even most recently, President Bola Tinubu in the APC contested against other 14 other presidential aspirations and Tinubu won. Why should the PDP zone it’s presidential ticket to the south where some persons would be zoned out. That is not democratic and it’s not constitutional.

” The last has not been heard on the zoning of this unconstitutional zoning of 102 NEC, the legality would be tested at the National convention. As was the case in year 2000, when the convention over ruled the NEC, so, it would at the national, since it is an elective convention where issues would be voted on.

” Let there an open contest based on competence in the management of our economic challenges as well as who can manage our security challenges. Nigeria is bleeding and there would be no need to be chanting any Premodial Sentiments and interests. Nigeria needs the best.

”Anyone afraid of an open contest is not fit to be President of Nigeria. That person is not a president of the south or north alone, we are talking of the president of Nigeria. So, we are calling for the best for Nigeria ”, Gbenga Hashim stated.

Meanwhile, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have declared their unflinching support for the presidential aspiration of Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At a meeting attended by about 170 critical stakeholders of the party from various area councils, which included Local Government Party,Ward chairmen, Council Chairmanship Flag bearers , Councillorship candidates ,Executive Chairmen ,Secretaries of Area Councils and other stakeholders, the FCT PDP faithful openly rejected the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to zone the presidential ticket to the South.

They insisted that the decision was unacceptable and vowed to resist any attempt to stop their preferred candidate from the North Central region.

Amid chants of “PDP Power to the people”, speakers at the gathering maintained that it was time for the North Central to produce Nigeria’s president, stressing that the region could no longer continue to play a subordinate role in national politics.

Party chieftain, Hon. Soko Dobo held that the North Central was solidly behind Olawepo-Hashim and that efforts were ongoing to rally delegates across the country in his favour. “The National Chairman himself said zoning does not mean others cannot contest. We in the North Central are fully behind Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim,” he said.

Another Stalwart Dr Ezekiel said Dr Gbenga Hashim fully understands the challenges facing FCT people.

He lamented over the political marginalisation of FCT residents, saying with a population of over five million across 800 communities, the territory still lacks a state structure and has only one senator and two members in the House of Representatives.

In his remarks, Dr. Olawepo-Hashim thanked party leaders and supporters for endorsing his aspiration, assuring them that he would not disappoint. He urged them not to be discouraged by the NEC’s zoning decision, recalling that in 1999 the PDP still allowed aspirants outside the favoured zone to contest.

“I have no intention of backing down. No party can close its doors to any Nigerian’s aspiration…The North Central has never produced a President or Vice President, and it will be unfair to deny us the chance now,” he said.

Stakeholders present also formally adopted him as the political leader of FCT. In a motion moved by the state chairman, Honourable Ismail Dogara and seconded by the Executive chairman of Bwari Area Council, Hon John Gabaya amidst singing by party youths and women, all pledging “where you go we go”.

The National Vice chairman-North Central Zone, Alhaji Abdulrhaman Mohammed Takushara, thanked Olawepo-Hashim for “his unflinching support for the North Central Zone which will ‘galvanise the party for greater victories in the Zone by the Grace of God”.

In further remarks at the meeting, he charged all stakeholders to work hard to secure victory at the Area Council election scheduled for 2026.

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