A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Gbenga Hashim, has written to formally “convey his resignation from the party with immediate effect.”
In a letter dated April 4, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the PDP, Usuma Ward, Bwari Area Council in the FCT, Hashim reminded the leadership that “the party has been embroiled in persistent and unending crises for over a year, leading to its complete factionalization into two groups.”
Part of the letter read: “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.”
Hashim, one of the conveners of the PDP and its first elected Deputy National Publicity Secretary, explained that it has become “increasingly evident” that the crisis was, in part, orchestrated to weaken the PDP as a viable opposition.
He suggested this was intended to prevent the party from fielding credible candidates in the 2027 election or, at worst, reduce it to a position of “tacit support for the incumbent administration.”
Hashim stated that he 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.”
According to Hashim, Nigeria currently faces severe challenges, including widespread insecurity, the tragic loss of innocent lives, and an economy in distress.
“Nigeria today is experiencing terrorist wars in four of our six regions,” he said, adding that “massacres of innocent people have become a daily occurrence. Over eighteen thousand people have been killed in terrorist violence in the three years of the current administration.”
He continued: “The economy has crumbled, and crippling poverty has soared. Only wickedness, greed, and a lack of integrity would keep any leader in a system that appears to endorse such outcomes or participate in any charade to coronate a pre-determined candidate.”
He noted that it is disheartening that a “great party,” founded by some of Nigeria’s most committed democrats and patriots, has been brought to its knees by internal divisions and individuals whose primary distinction is that they “benefited the most from the public offices entrusted to them by the PDP.”
“At this juncture, I believe it is necessary for me to step aside and pursue a new path,” he noted.