Nigeria is veering into the repressive era of late General Sani Abacha, according to Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a prominent figure in the Accord Party. In a statement issued ahead of the party’s presidential primary on May 30, 2026, Hashim decried what he described as orchestrated moves to stifle opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. He alleged that influential political actors are systematically weakening opposition platforms to prevent viable alternatives from challenging the ruling establishment. Hashim said, “Nigeria is being dragged back to the Abacha years.”
The former presidential candidate accused a senior Accord Party chieftain of orchestrating internal sabotage aimed at destabilizing the party and hindering its ability to field a credible presidential candidate. He drew parallels between the current political climate and that of the Abacha regime, where all political parties were co-opted to serve a single power agenda. “We are seeing history repeat itself,” Hashim stated, “with parties being used as instruments for a self-succession plot.”
Hashim, a Kwara State native, linked the alleged scheme to high-ranking officials within President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He expressed confidence that the coordinated effort would ultimately fail, just as the Abacha succession plan did. “This plot by top officials will collapse, just like the Abacha agenda crumbled,” he asserted. Hashim’s comments come amid growing concerns about political repression and the shrinking of democratic space in Nigeria.