A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said in a free and fair election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would find it hard to get 20% of the vote.
While speaking on Channels Television, Hashim argued that the APC’s alleged reluctance to fully embrace electoral transparency raises questions about its confidence in its popularity.
“If the APC could boast of about 32 governors, then they should be happy to organise free and fair elections. They should be happy to transmit results from the polling units to the IReV. Why are they afraid if PDP is dead?” he asked on the show.
“If the opposition is dead and buried, why are they afraid of free and fair elections? The APC is afraid.
“All the propagandists can celebrate President Tinubu as a strategist, but he is certainly not a fool. He has done the polls, and he knows that in a free and fair election, the APC cannot score 20 per cent of the vote,” Olawepo-Hashim said.
He maintained that the PDP remains a formidable political force despite internal crises and defections.
He argued that the opposition party continues to attract grassroots support, even as some political elites defect to the ruling party.
“The PDP is the most competitive, and that is why there are so many efforts to destroy it. Those who believe it is finished are deluded,” he said.
The PDP chieftain also pointed to possible internal tensions within the APC, suggesting they could weaken the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Even in their party, they know those who are waiting to bite them from the back. They have more issues than the PDP,” he added.
The PDP chieftain attributed recent political defections to what he described as elite opportunism rather than genuine public support, warning against the erosion of multi-party democracy.
“The Nigerian political elite is very greedy. They want to stay where the pie is. But the grassroots are more honest. When governors jump, the grassroots do not necessarily follow,” he stated.
“Anybody celebrating the collapse of multi-party democracy should have their heads knocked. “What the PDP needs is a joint NEC and convention, not factions,” he noted.
