On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement and the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA) publicly disagreed over President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects for the 2027 general elections, highlighting contrasting visions for Nigeria’s political future. The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement, led by South-West Coordinator Alhaji Abass Olaniyi, declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West would lead efforts to unseat Tinubu, rejecting Minister Nyesom Wike’s endorsement of the president as a personal stance that contradicts the PDP’s values, as reported by Independent Newspaper Nigeria. Olaniyi emphasized that leaders like Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a former PDP presidential candidate, embody the integrity needed to restore the party’s founding principles and offer a credible alternative to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He stated, “The South-West PDP will lead the charge to rescue Nigeria’s democracy and defeat President Tinubu in 2027,” arguing that the party must capitalize on public demand for honest leadership amid economic challenges like 34.2% inflation (NBS, June 2025).
Conversely, SWAGA, led by Senator Dayo Adeyeye, relaunched its “SWAGA 2.0” campaign in Lagos to mobilize for Tinubu’s second term, predicting “the greatest landslide victory in the history of the Fourth Republic,” per Politics Nigeria. Adeyeye cited Tinubu’s achievements, including infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Highway, and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, and economic reforms like fuel subsidy removal, which saved ₦3.7 trillion in 2024 (NBS data). SWAGA argued that no president since 1999 has matched Tinubu’s vision, with Adeyeye dismissing claims of northern opposition as a “myth” and highlighting the North’s 64% contribution to Tinubu’s 2023 vote (INEC). The group plans nationwide sensitization, building on its 2020–2023 campaign that reached over 400 palaces and 300 locations. X posts from @TosinOlugbenga (July 27, 2025) and @AKakanfo (July 23, 2025) reflect strong Yoruba support for Tinubu, while @SafeeyanM (July 28, 2025) criticized his economic policies for impoverishing masses.
The disagreement underscores regional and party tensions, with the Hashim Movement’s multi-party coalition (PDP, APC, Labour Party) advocating for competence over zoning, per Abdulrazaq Hamzat’s critique of PDP’s alleged southern ticket zoning as unconstitutional under Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution. Meanwhile, SWAGA’s focus on Tinubu’s record contrasts with criticisms from groups like PANDEF and the Middle Belt Forum, who allege regional neglect in federal allocations and infrastructure. The debate signals a polarized buildup to 2027, with the PDP’s Oyo State convention looming as a critical platform for resolving internal divisions.
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