Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the Accord Party (AP) Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has accused powerful political forces of trying to cripple opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that Nigeria is sliding back to the “dark days” of the late General Sani Abacha era.

In a statement issued in Kaduna ahead of the Party’s presidential primary scheduled for May 30, Hashim alleged deliberate efforts by influential figures to weaken opposition platforms and block credible challengers to the ruling establishment.

“Nigeria is being dragged back to the Abacha years,” he declared.

Hashim claimed a top chieftain within the Accord Party was orchestrating internal manoeuvres to destabilise the party and frustrate its ability to field a presidential candidate.

He said the situation mirrors the political climate of the Abacha era, when registered parties were aligned behind a single power structure.

“We are seeing a replay of history, when political parties became tools for a self-succession agenda,” he said.

The former candidate also linked the alleged plot to figures within President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting the attempt to dominate the political space would fail.

“This coordinated plot by top officials will fail, just as the Abacha agenda failed,” Hashim stated.

He accused the political establishment of weakening opposition parties through manipulative legal and political strategies, including the destabilisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the enactment of what he called a “self-serving and obnoxious” Electoral Act.

He also alleged that some promoters of the law failed to comply with its provisions before challenging parts of it in court.

“They weakened the opposition, wrote the rules to favour themselves, and still refused to play by those rules,” he alleged.

Despite the crisis within the Accord Party, Hashim said the party’s presidential primary would proceed as scheduled on Saturday, May 30.

“The presidential primary of the Accord Party is scheduled for Saturday, May 30. We are prepared to participate, and by the Grace of God, it will hold,” he said.

Vowing resistance, he added: “We shall not be discouraged. We shall not be intimidated. We fought for democracy, and by the Grace of God, we will defend it.”