A former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said the party’s lingering leadership crisis can be resolved within one week if its leaders embrace political solutions instead of prolonged court battles.
Olawepo-Hashim made the claim during a meeting with the PDP National Chairman, Ambassador Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as part of ongoing consultations aimed at achieving an out-of-court settlement of the internal dispute.
The meeting was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Olawepo-Hashim Media Office and made available to The Press Online.
According to Olawepo-Hashim, the continued resort to litigation poses a serious threat to the survival of the PDP and the stability of Nigeria’s multiparty democratic system. He argued that the party already has adequate constitutional provisions and legitimate internal structures to resolve the crisis without judicial intervention.
“There are more than enough legitimate members of the National Executive Committee to convene a meeting and resolve this crisis within one week,” he said.
He cited Sections 3(1) and 3(4) of the PDP Constitution, which empower two-thirds of National Executive Committee (NEC) members to convene a meeting and take binding decisions on behalf of the party.
Olawepo-Hashim noted that most NEC members were elected before the disputed Ibadan convention and therefore retain unquestionable constitutional legitimacy. He added that although the tenure of some members of the National Working Committee expired on December 8, the pre-Ibadan NEC members remain constitutionally empowered to intervene.
He said such intervention would enable the party to take corrective steps in the interest of unity, stability and electoral competitiveness.
“What is required now is courage and responsibility,” Olawepo-Hashim said, urging party leaders to put the broader interest of the PDP and the nation above factional considerations.
“NEC members must rise above factional interests and stand for posterity, for the party and for the country,” he added.
He warned that continued internal paralysis could weaken the PDP’s ability to function as a credible opposition and undermine democratic balance in Nigeria.
“The PDP plays a critical role in Nigeria’s democracy. A weakened opposition is dangerous for democratic governance,” he said.
In his response, the PDP National Chairman, Ambassador Tanimu Turaki, thanked Olawepo-Hashim for the visit and his commitment to party unity and reconciliation.
Turaki assured that the party leadership under his watch remained open to reconciliation efforts, stressing that any resolution must safeguard the unity, stability and continued existence of the PDP.
The meeting, held at Turaki’s residence in Asokoro, Abuja, was also attended by the Deputy National Chairman and the party’s National Youth Leader.
