Photo: Gbenga Hashim

Dr Gbenga Hashim, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has resigned from the party with immediate effect, citing its deepening internal crisis and the collapse of efforts to hold it together.

Hashim, a founding convener of the PDP in 1998 and its first elected Deputy National Publicity Secretary, announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the party’s chairman in Usuma Ward, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

He wrote:

“The party has been embroiled in persistent and unending crises for over a year, leading to its complete factional two dominant groups.

You are also witness to the numerous reconciliation efforts I undertook, alongside other well-meaning leaders, to bridge these divisions and restore unity within the party.

Regrettably, these efforts did not yield the desired results,” he added.

Beyond the internal crisis, he suggested the turmoil may not be accidental, but part of a broader design.

“It has become increasingly evident that the crisis was, in part, orchestrated to weaken the PDP as a viable opposition, potentially preventing it from fielding credible candidates in the 2027 election or, at worst, reducing it to a position of tacit support for the incumbent administration.

“I cannot, in good conscience, be complicit in actions that undermine democratic values. To remain in a system that appears to endorse a leadership record I fundamentally disagree with would be a betrayal of my principles and commitment to the Nigerian people,” he added.

The Federal Government has allocated N135.22 billion for legal disputes that will arise from the 2027 general election.

The provision is contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill in the House of Representatives Order Paper for March 31, 2026,tagged “Electoral Adjudication and Post Election Provision.”

The allocation was captured under the Service-Wide Votes, a centrally managed pool of funds used by the Federal Government to finance obligations not tied to a specific ministry, department, or agency.

Service-Wide Votes are widely regarded as the government’s contingency or general-purpose fund within the budget.

It has been described as a central provision used to cover expenditures that cut across multiple agencies, including unforeseen obligations, national commitments, and liabilities that cannot be easily assigned to a single institution.

In some cases, the fund also accommodates items that require further approval or are not fully determined at the time of budget preparation.

The Youth Wing of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the restoration of the party’s 2025-recognised leadership or face nationwide protests.

The group warned that failure to comply would trigger peaceful civic action across the country, including plans to occupy INEC offices in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Its demands include the immediate reinstatement of the Senator David Mark-led leadership on INEC’s official portal, a public apology from the commission, and assurances of neutrality in line with the rule of law.

Speaking on Monday at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, ADC National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufa’i, accused INEC of undermining democratic institutions.

“Nigeria is under democratic siege. What should have been a steady consolidation of 27 uninterrupted years of civil rule since 1999 is now being deliberately undermined by those entrusted to protect it,” he said.

Rufa’i said that the party’s July 29, 2025, National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which produced a new leadership, was conducted under INEC’s supervision and later recognised by the commission.