Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has intensified consultations ahead of the 2027 general election with separate meetings held with former presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida.
The closed-door meetings, which took place on Monday, were part of Olawepo-Hashim’s nationwide engagements with elder statesmen and key national figures on Nigeria’s future direction.
According to a statement issued in Kaduna, Olawepo-Hashim told the former leaders that he has the capacity to address Nigeria’s security challenges, rebuild national unity, stabilise the polity and restore economic prosperity.
He was quoted as saying Nigeria urgently requires purposeful, inclusive and unifying leadership to prevent deeper national fractures.
The statement said Olawepo-Hashim arrived at Obasanjo’s residence in Abeokuta at about 11am and left roughly an hour later.
He subsequently travelled to Minna, where he met Babangida.
During the Minna meeting, Olawepo-Hashim reportedly appealed to Babangida’s role in preserving Nigeria’s unity, referencing sacrifices made during the civil war.
“General, you still carry in your body the wounds of the war fought to keep Nigeria one, and if Nigeria is allowed to disintegrate today through incompetent leadership, then the sacrifices of patriots like you would have been wasted,” he was quoted as saying.
He warned that the 2027 election must focus on national rescue, adding that continued leadership failure could further threaten the country’s cohesion and stability.
The statement added that Olawepo-Hashim was accompanied by the chairman of the North Central Renaissance Movement, Professor Nghargbu Ketso, and other aides.
