RismadarVoice Reporters
September 20, 2026
Accord Party chieftain Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has distinguished his political ideology from those of Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on the Mic On Podcast, Olawepo-Hashim said opposition politicians should not be viewed as ideologically similar simply because they oppose the ruling party.
He described Obi and Atiku as belonging to what he called the “extreme conservative political wing”, while identifying himself with the left-centre alongside African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and Social Democratic Party candidate Adewole Adebayo.
On fuel pricing and subsidy, Olawepo-Hashim cited Obi’s position as an example of their differences.
“Peter is very clear. He doesn’t have any problem with high petrol prices. The only problem he has is how the proceeds are managed,” he said.
He argued that the distinction extends beyond individual policies to broader approaches to governance and economic policy.
“There are opposition members who are from the extreme conservative political wing. Peter and Atiku belong to that,” he said.
“There are opposition candidates who share the left-centre ideology, more welfarists, more sympathetic, more compassionate to the common people. Sowore, Adebayo and I belong to that. So we shouldn’t be lumped together.”
Olawepo-Hashim also confirmed that he, Sowore and Adebayo had entered into a political agreement ahead of the 2027 election.
“We already did. We signed it in Port Harcourt, and it was in the public space,” he said.
His comments come amid efforts by opposition politicians to form alliances and distinguish their policy positions ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
The report noted that Obi has opposed a return to petrol subsidy while arguing that savings from subsidy removal should be properly managed. Atiku has proposed a targeted subsidy approach, while Olawepo-Hashim has previously advocated targeted subsidies for citizens and productive sectors, alongside transparency and accountability.
The politicians therefore differ on both their descriptions of economic policy and their preferred approaches to issues such as fuel subsidies, welfare and government spending.
