‎Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has faulted the party’s decision to zone the presidency, warning that it amounts to an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s reelection bid.
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‎Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, shortly after the PDP National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim described the move as “unprecedented” in the history of the party.
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‎“Zoning the presidency to the south is a default campaign for the return of President Bola Tinubu. Because those who are mounting this campaign of zoning to the south are the same people who are saying we are in PDP, but we work for President Tinubu,” he said.
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‎He argued that the decision effectively weakens the PDP’s chances of producing a viable presidential candidate.

He added, “It’s a default campaign for the PDP not to have a viable candidate by those people. So this is a subtle campaign for an easy ride of Bola Tinubu’s re-election.”
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‎The PDP chieftain stressed that the party had never barred any region from contesting the presidency, citing past conventions as examples.
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‎“The PDP has never zoned the presidency before. In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was then General Obasanjo, contested against Alhaji Rimi from Northern Nigeria and some other candidates, Dr Alex Ekwueme, etc.

“In 2003, as a sitting president in the villa, President Obasanjo had to contest again with Chief Barnabas Gemade from Benue, Alhaji Rimi from Kano. The party never shut the door against any zone,” he recalled.
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‎He maintained that the NEC of the PDP made a “big error” by adopting the zoning decision.

“I’m not saying that they didn’t do it by majority. They did it by a majority. It was quite democratic. All the organs of the party decided. But it made a big error,” he said.