Abuja — In furtherance of his presidential aspiration, presidential hopeful in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has intensified consultations ahead of the 2027 elections, holding separate meetings with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.).
The closed-door meetings, held yesterday, were part of Hashim's ongoing nationwide engagements with elder statesmen and key national figures to discuss the future direction of Nigeria.
Sources familiar with the consultations said Hashim assured both former leaders of his capacity to tackle Nigeria's security challenges, rebuild national unity, stabilise the polity, and restore economic prosperity.
He stressed that Nigeria urgently needed purposeful, inclusive, and unifying leadership to avert deeper national fractures.
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Both Obasanjo and Babangida are widely regarded as influential elder statesmen, who remain invested in Nigeria's unity and stability, having played defining roles in the country's political and military history.
Hashim arrived at Obasanjo's residence in Abeokuta at about 11:00 a.m. and departed roughly an hour later.
He subsequently travelled to Minna, aboard a Hawker 800 jet with registration number 5N-BZP, where he met with Babangida.
During the Minna meeting, Hashim was said to have appealed to Babangida's historic role in preserving Nigeria's unity, referencing the sacrifices made 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 were not fortunate to survive that struggle.
"If Nigeria is allowed to disintegrate today through incompetent leadership, then the sacrifices of patriots like you would have been wasted," Hashim was quoted as saying.
He emphasised that the 2027 election must be centred on national rescue, warning that continued leadership failure could further endanger the country's cohesion and stability.
