Former presidential candidate and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential hopeful, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has stepped up high-level political consultations ahead of the 2027 general election, meeting separately with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.).
The closed-door meetings, held on Monday, form part of Olawepo-Hashim’s nationwide engagements with elder statesmen and key national figures on the future of Nigeria.
Sources close to the consultations said the former presidential candidate briefed both leaders on his vision to confront Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, rebuild national unity, stabilise the polity and revive the economy.
He reportedly emphasised that the country urgently requires purposeful, inclusive and unifying leadership to prevent deeper national fractures.
Although non-partisan, Obasanjo and Babangida are widely regarded as influential elder statesmen whose views continue to shape national discourse, given their historic roles in Nigeria’s political and military evolution.
Olawepo-Hashim arrived at Obasanjo’s residence in Abeokuta at about 11:00 a.m. and left approximately an hour later.
He later travelled to Minna, Niger State, where he met with Babangida aboard a Hawker 800 jet with registration number 5N-BZP.
During the Minna meeting, Olawepo-Hashim reportedly appealed to Babangida’s role in preserving Nigeria’s unity, recalling the sacrifices of those who fought during the civil war.
“General, you still carry in your body the wounds of the war fought to keep Nigeria one. Many of your colleagues did not survive that struggle.
If Nigeria is allowed to disintegrate today through incompetent leadership, then the sacrifices of patriots like you would have been in vain,” he was quoted as saying.
He stressed that the 2027 general election must be framed as a national rescue mission, warning that continued leadership failure could further threaten the country’s cohesion and stability.
Olawepo-Hashim was accompanied on the visits by the Chairman of the North Central Renaissance Movement, Professor Nghargbu K’tsɔ, alongside other aides.
Political analysts view the consultations as a calculated move to position Olawepo-Hashim as a bridge-building national figure ahead of what is expected to be a pivotal and highly competitive 2027 presidential contest.
