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2027: Olawepo-Hashim Declares War on PDP Zoning Policy, Vows to Fight at National Convention

The storm over the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) controversial decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South is gathering strength, as northern aspirant Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has openly vowed to challenge the ruling at the party’s national convention.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the veteran politician insisted that the National Convention, scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, remains the final arbiter on zoning, not the National Executive Committee (NEC).

“This Decision Will Not Stand”

Olawepo-Hashim, who once served as the PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, drew from party history to back his claim.

“In 2000, the NEC extended the tenure of the National Working Committee led by Engr. Barnabas Gemade from two to four years. I was then the Deputy National Publicity Secretary. I led the G54 members of the NEC to petition the National Convention. And the convention overruled NEC’s decision,” he recalled.

“The same principle applies today. Zoning the presidential ticket to either North or South is undemocratic. It shuts some people out and serves no good purpose. Nigeria is too fragile for sectional politics.”

He argued that the presidency must remain open to all Nigerians, stressing that competence, not geography, should determine who leads Africa’s most populous country.

“Why should the PDP shut out other qualified Nigerians simply because of zoning? Even in 1999, when the country was healing from military rule, President Olusegun Obasanjo contested against Alex Ekwueme and Abubakar Rimi. In 2003, the same Obasanjo again faced Ekwueme and Rimi.

“Most recently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu contested against 14 aspirants in the APC and emerged victorious. That is democracy. Anyone afraid of an open contest is not fit to lead Nigeria.”

North Central’s Unfinished Business

Olawepo-Hashim also placed the spotlight on the North Central zone, which, in his view, has been historically sidelined in the allocation of the country’s highest offices.

“No President or Vice President has ever come from the North Central. For decades, we have been used to balance power, yet denied the chance to lead. Now that Nigeria is bleeding, it would be unjust to once again deny the North Central its fair shot at the presidency,” he said.

He vowed not to back down, describing the NEC’s zoning directive as unconstitutional and unenforceable. “The last word will be spoken at the convention,” he declared.

FCT PDP Rallies Behind Him

Meanwhile, Olawepo-Hashim’s defiance has begun to gain traction within the party. In Abuja, over 170 stakeholders of the PDP in the Federal Capital Territory openly pledged their support for his ambition.

The gathering, attended by area council and ward chairmen, flag bearers, councillorship candidates, and executive officers, issued a clear rejection of the NEC’s zoning decision.

One of the chieftains, Soko Dobo, emphasised that the North Central was united in backing Olawepo-Hashim.
“The National Chairman himself has said zoning does not prevent anyone from contesting. The North Central stands firmly behind him, and mobilisation efforts are underway to secure delegate support nationwide,” he said.

The meeting culminated in a symbolic show of loyalty. In a motion moved by PDP elder Ismail Dogara and seconded by John Gabaya, Executive Chairman of Bwari Area Council, party youths and women chanted in unison:

“Where you go, we go.”

The Bigger Picture

Political analysts note that Olawepo-Hashim’s challenge could reshape the PDP’s 2027 primaries, exposing long-standing cracks within the party over zoning — a policy once designed to stabilise Nigeria’s fragile democracy but now increasingly seen as out of step with modern politics.

Whether the Ibadan convention will uphold or overturn the NEC’s directive remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the battle lines are drawn, and Olawepo-Hashim is betting on history — and the North Central’s hunger for power — to swing the tide in his favour.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna