Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja upholding the judgment of the Federal High Court restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim has expressed the optimism that the development would lead to the permanent resolution of the internal crisis of the party.
A statement released by Hashim, a former presidential aspirant, shortly after the court ruling Monday, stated: “This is a family quarrel that must now end at the Appeal Court. Leaders on both sides have agreed in principle to unite and harmonise positions in all the talks and negotiations we have heard.
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We trust that this unity would be achieved by the grace of God. Nigerians earnestly expect this and posterity demands it!”
Fresh signs of reconciliation
The fresh signs of reconciliation are emerging following what party insiders describe as a carefully coordinated mediation effort led by Hashim. This is coming after months of public tension, legal disputes and factional maneuvering within the PDP.
Multiple high-level sources within the party confirmed that Hashim, a founding member of the PDP in 1998 and a former presidential candidate, has been quietly engaging key stakeholders across rival blocs in a bid to halting escalating internal divisions and reposition the party ahead of future electoral contests.
Officials familiar with the process said the reconciliation initiative began in January with consultations involving leaders of the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki bloc before extending the discussions with Mallam Abdulrahman, a prominent figure within the faction often associated with Nyesom Wike, former Rivers State governor.
Sources said the conversations were substantive and focused largely on the political and institutional consequences of prolonged litigation within the party.
Hashim is said to have emphasised the risks associated with sustained court battles, warning that extended judicial confrontation could erode the party’s institutional stability and weaken its electoral preparedness.
Insiders noted that the thrust of the mediation effort was not personal rapprochement but the safeguarding of the party’s structural integrity.
In a move widely interpreted as invoking the authority of the party’s founding generation, Hashim also consulted with former Heads of State, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, both influential figures in the PDP’s early years.
Although neither elder statesman has publicly commented on the consultations, sources indicated that their counsel centered on unity, stability and national competitiveness as essential pillars for the party’s revival.
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Party insiders said the consultations helped reinforce the perception that the mediation was an institutional effort rather than a factional maneuver, particularly as Hashim is not widely associated with any of the competing factions.
Developments in the legal arena also appear to be reinforcing the push for reconciliation.
During the hearing of an appeal at the Court of Appeal of Nigeria sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday, the justices reportedly advised the parties involved in the dispute to consider reconciliation, emphasising the importance of political stability and internal dispute resolution within political parties.
Last weekend reportedly marked a significant turning point. Intensified backchannel communications between key figures on both sides culminated in what sources described as an agreement in principle to begin harmonising positions irrespective of pending court rulings.
The factions, insiders said, are prepared to deepen internal consultations and move toward structured, face-to-face engagement.
While formal documentation of the understanding has yet to be finalised, the mood within party circles appears to have shifted.
“The temperature has dropped,” a senior party official said. “People are talking again.”
Another party source described the prevailing sentiment more broadly.
“The mood in the party is reconciliation, despite the decision of the Court of Appeal Monday. Many members’ political careers depend on it. Those aspiring to the State Assembly, governorship seats, the House of Representatives and the Senate all understand that their ambitions depend on having a stable and united party,” the source said.
Political analysts observe that the timing of the reconciliation push may prove strategic.
The PDP’s recent performance in Area Council elections, they noted, demonstrated the resilience of the party’s grassroots machinery. However, party leaders acknowledge that cohesion at the top remains critical to sustaining momentum at the base.
“The structure is strong. What was missing was cohesion,” another senior party member said.
Observers argue that the emerging truce could mark more than the end of a crisis. It may represent a broader recalibration aimed at restoring the PDP’s credibility as a consolidated opposition platform ahead of the next electoral cycle.
For Hashim, who previously served as deputy national publicity secretary of the party, the initiative signals a renewed assertion of influence by founding members within a political organisation increasingly shaped by newer power blocs. His consistent advocacy for an out-of-court resolution appears to have resonated with stakeholders concerned about institutional fatigue and public perception.
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Whether the tentative breakthrough will translate into durable structural unity remains uncertain. Legal proceedings are ongoing, political ambitions persist, and alliances in Nigerian politics often shift rapidly.
Nevertheless, insiders agree on one notable development, previously frozen communication channels are now open.
If the current momentum is sustained, the PDP may be entering not only a phase of reconciliation but also a period of strategic repositioning, a process that, in Nigeria’s political landscape, often precedes political resurgence.
