From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has accused powerful figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), of reviving an old smear campaign against him through his estranged wife.
He described the development as a desperate attempt to tarnish his image ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Ilorin, Olawepo-Hashim, claimed that recent media reports quoting his ex-wife were politically motivated and financed by individuals within the APC who, according to him, had tried to derail his presidential ambition in 2019.
“She has been recruited once again by the same elements who worked against me years ago. These are individuals connected to the Buhari circle in the UK High Commission and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA). They previously tried to frame me for funding terrorism, but I was cleared by UK authorities when no evidence was found,” he said.
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The politician recalled that during that period, two of his oil assets were seized, leading to a long legal tussle. “It took the judgment of the Federal High Court in 2020 to restore my company’s rights to the Hely Creek and Abigborodo marginal oil fields,” he noted, referencing the ruling by Justice Taiwo Taiwo which declared the government’s revocation illegal and awarded $20 million in damages to his firm, Transnational Energy Limited.
Olawepo-Hashim further alleged that his estranged wife’s legal actions in the United Kingdom, were part of the same political plot. “She secured an undefended divorce judgment in England, awarding her £18 million. But that judgment was set aside in Nigeria because our marriage was contracted under Nigerian law,” he explained.
He also accused unnamed APC operatives of financially backing his ex-wife and using her to launch another media onslaught. “They have given her millions of dollars and foreign nominations in exchange for reviving this story. My lawyers have repeatedly asked her for account details for the children’s upkeep, but she refuses because she is after a big payout, not the children’s welfare,” he said.
Describing her as “a professional blackmailer and social climber,” Olawepo-Hashim said she had cut off contact between him and their children, insisting that her actions were part of a wider political script.
“Now that the 2027 campaign season has unofficially begun, they have picked her up again, pushing this recycled story in the media. It’s the same tired strategy,” he said.
He also dismissed reports claiming that a court had ordered one of his companies to pay ₦300 million, calling it “a fabricated story from an APC night court.”
“This is an act of desperation, a sign that our message is unsettling them. But picking stories from bitter individuals will not save the APC from defeat in 2027,” he declared.
Concluding, Olawepo-Hashim said: “These tales didn’t stop President Trump in America, and by God’s grace, they won’t stop us here in Nigeria.”
