Only God Can End the APC Agenda — Hashim Warns Against One-Party Ambition

Former presidential candidate and political activist, Dr. Gbenga Hashim, has cautioned against what he described as subtle attempts to weaken Nigeria’s opposition parties, warning that any agenda aimed at entrenching one-party dominance would ultimately fail. Hashim insisted that Nigeria’s democratic foundation is too deeply rooted to be dismantled by legal manoeuvres or political intimidation, declaring that only divine intervention—not political scheming—can determine the fate of the nation’s democracy.

In a strongly worded statement responding to recent political developments, Hashim said he was neither intimidated nor discouraged by what he believes are calculated efforts to undermine the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition forces. According to him, such actions betray an unhealthy appetite for political monopoly and run contrary to Nigeria’s long-standing democratic tradition.

Hashim stressed that Nigeria was deliberately founded as a pluralistic society, with its political system designed to reflect the country’s ethnic, religious, and regional diversity. He noted that from independence, Nigeria’s founding fathers rejected the idea of concentrating power in the hands of one man or a single political platform.

“Nigeria has always embraced multiparty democracy as a tool for managing its diversity,” Hashim said. “Even in the First Republic, political authority was never monopolised by one individual or one party.”

To support his argument, Hashim referenced Nigeria’s early political history. In the Northern Region, despite the dominance of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) under the leadership of Sir Ahmadu Bello, other influential movements such as Aminu Kano’s Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), J.S. Tarka’s Middle Belt Congress, and Sir Kashim Ibrahim’s Borno People’s Union played significant roles in shaping political discourse. According to Hashim, this pluralism ensured balance and prevented absolute political control.

He added that a similar dynamic existed in the Western Region, where the Action Group competed robustly with the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) and other regional political organisations such as the Ibadan People’s Party. For Hashim, this diversity of voices was not a weakness but the very strength of Nigeria’s political evolution.

“Our democracy has never been defined by a single shining star,” he said. “Our political sky has always been filled with many stars, each contributing to the whole.”

Drawing parallels with Nigeria’s military past, Hashim likened the current political climate to the failed self-succession agenda of late military ruler, General Sani Abacha. He recalled how Abacha attempted to transform himself into the sole presidential candidate of all registered political parties, an effort that ultimately collapsed under its own weight.

“We are living witnesses to how that plot ended,” Hashim said. “While the methods may differ today, the destination is the same.”

According to him, unlike Abacha’s overt strategy of presenting himself as the only candidate, the present approach appears more subtle—focused on weakening opposition parties to the point where none can credibly challenge the ruling party. Hashim warned that such schemes are historically unsustainable and inevitably provoke resistance.

Reflecting on his personal history, Hashim recalled his involvement in the struggle against military dictatorship, emphasising that resistance to authoritarianism was led largely from within Nigeria. He referenced his participation in the internal resistance delegation at Fort IBB on June 8, 1998, during one of the most tense periods of the Abacha era.

“We opposed the self-succession plot from within the country,” he said, underscoring the resilience of Nigerians in defending democratic values.

Hashim concluded on a note of cautious optimism, expressing confidence that Nigeria’s democratic traditions would once again prevail.

“The same God who granted us the grace to witness the collapse of the Abacha agenda will also help us see the end of any attempt to undermine our multiparty democracy,” he said.

He reaffirmed that no political party, regardless of its current dominance, can permanently subvert the will of the people, insisting that Nigeria’s future will always be shaped by choice, plurality, and accountability—not fear or political monopoly.