The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan will not enjoy a “free ride” to the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2027.
Reacting to remarks credited to the founding National Secretary of the party, Prof. Jerry Gana, suggesting Jonathan’s possible comeback on the PDP platform, GHSM National Coordinator, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, stressed that PDP’s flag bearer for the 2027 presidential election will only emerge through an open and transparent process in line with the Electoral Act 2022. “With due respect, Prof. Jerry Gana is entitled to his enthusiasm about the return of former President Jonathan.
However, only PDP delegates to the national convention can pick the party’s flag bearer, and ultimately, God Almighty will determine the outcome, not a few party stalwarts,” Hamzat said in a statement. The GHSM national coordinator noted that Nigerians are yearning for progress, not a return to the past, warning that Jonathan represents an “old order” many citizens are ready to consign to history.
His words: “The Jonathan era cannot be painted as a perfect time. It was a period when the diversity of our nation began to be deeply mismanaged, rekindling ethnic tensions and religious bigotry, a legacy that has unfortunately worsened under subsequent governments.”
He also revisited Jonathan’s foreign policy record, faulting Nigeria’s decision in 2011 to break ranks with the African Union and support NATO’s intervention in Libya.
He described the move as a “strategic blunder” that destabilized the Sahel and aggravated insecurity across Nigeria, Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other West African countries. On domestic governance, the Hamzat insisted that Jonathan still has questions to answer on corruption allegations that trailed his administration, particularly the infamous Dasukigate arms procurement scandal.
He, however, affirmed that the PDP remains a democratic platform where no aspirant, including former presidents, should expect automatic endorsement. “If President Jonathan desires a return to Aso Rock, he must be ready to square up with nationally unifying aspirants such as Dr. Gbenga OlawepoHashim in an open and transparent primary,” Hamzat declared.
He maintained that Nigerians deserve fresh leadership and a new vision to tackle the nation’s challenges, insisting that “the only way forward is forward, not backward.” In a related development, the North Central Renaissance Movement (NCRM) has demanded that the 2027 presidency be ceded to the North Central geopolitical zone, warning that any political party that ignores the call will pay the price at the polls.
The group’s chairman and convener, Prof. K’tso Nghargbu, who made the call, said the zone, comprising Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara states and the FCT-Abuja, has never produced an elected president or vice president since independence despite its consistent contributions to national stability Nghargbu maintained that giving the North Central a shot at the presidency is not only a matter of fairness, but also a strategic move to foster peace, unity, and stability across Nigeria.
“It is our duty and responsibility to state clearly that the North Central geopolitical zone seeks, requests, and demands that political parties cede their presidential ticket to our region. Patronising us means having our votes, while despising us means losing our votes,” he declared. He argued that the North Central is uniquely positioned to heal Nigeria’s growing political divisions, especially the simmering tension between elites in the far North and their counterparts in the South.
“The North-Central is blessed with enormous political resources and human capital. We are capable of addressing Nigeria’s leadership challenges and driving unity at this critical time,” he added. Nghargbu also threw his weight behind the push for independent candidacy in the constitution, describing it as a remedy for the dominance of “money drunk and godfather drunk” political parties. “Independent candidature is one of the answers Nigeria needs.
It checks the excesses of political parties that deny genuine aspirants a chance,” he said. Meanwhile, Olawepo-Hashim has warned that Northern Nigeria risks sliding into war if urgent and coordinated national action is not taken to stem the growing wave of terrorism and banditry.
The presidential hopeful stated this, in a condolence message to the families of victims of the recent bandit attack in Oke Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, where 15 people, including vigilantes and the Baale, were killed. Demanding immediate security action to rescue abducted persons, Olawepo-Hashim revealed that two months ago, he had held a 30-minute securityfocused conversation with the governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, in his capacity as both governor and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
According to him, he presented a security trend model for Kwara and Northern Nigeria, but decried that despite assurances that the situation was under control, recent events had shown the challenges were far beyond the governor’s capacity.
“What is obvious is that despite his best efforts, the issues are well beyond him,” he said, painting a grim outlook and cautioning that terrorist forces are actively working to acquire the capacity to establish government in some Northern states, depending on political developments in 2027.
“God forbid, but there are clear indications that terrorist forces are actively working to establish government in some Northern states,” he warned, identifying the North Central geopolitical zone as the likely theatre of the crisis.
He stressed that the Oke Ode massacre is a tragic reminder of the escalating threat, reminiscent of past attacks in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi and Niger states as well as Baruteen and Pategi local governments.
Olawepo-Hashim also accused Nigeria’s ruling elite of complacency and disconnection from the plight of ordinary citizens. “It is tragic that those in power are kidding with this rapidly emerging danger.
Most of our ruling elites remain aloof or already have their personal plans, leaving poor and helpless communities in danger,” he lamented. The PDP chieftain called for urgent, professional and coordinated security operations to avert a total state failure, warning that Nigeria cannot afford to allow terrorists and criminal groups to consolidate control over ungoverned or poorly governed spaces.
