Former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has accused elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring renewed allegations against him through his estranged wife, describing it as part of a smear campaign to discredit him ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a detailed statement, Olawepo-Hashim alleged that his ex-wife’s recent claims in the media were orchestrated by remnants of the same political handlers who, he said, plotted to stop his 2019 presidential bid.
According to him, “She had been recruited by elements around Buhari in the UK High Commission and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA). Apart from other sinister things they did, they tried to frame me up for funding terrorism. I was questioned in the UK and released when no evidence was found. She was the one who gave the information to the UK authorities.”
The politician alleged that the same group seized two of his oil assets during the period, forcing him into a prolonged legal battle. He recalled that in November 2020, the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, restored the Hely Creek and Abigborodo marginal oil fields to his company, Transnational Energy Limited (TEL), after ruling that the government’s revocation of the fields was illegal. The court also awarded $20 million in damages against the federal institutions involved.
Olawepo-Hashim claimed that his ex-wife’s legal battle in the UK was part of that broader scheme, adding that she was “recruited by the then Deputy Director-General of the NIA, Air Force General Bello, who is her in-law.”
He explained that she obtained an undefended divorce judgment in England in which she was awarded £18 million (about ₦36 billion), but the judgment was later annulled by a Nigerian court since their marriage was conducted under Nigerian law.
“APC handlers funded her with millions of dollars, nominating her for several foreign grants for female entrepreneurs and start-up businesses. My lawyers have written to her several times to provide account details for the children’s upkeep, but she refused because she wants £18 million, not money for their welfare,” he said.
The former presidential candidate added that his ex-wife had denied his family access to their children, describing her as “a professional blackmailer and social climber who has made plenty of money from that trade.”
He maintained that the revival of her story was politically motivated, asserting that “now that the 2027 campaign has started, the same APC team has picked her up again, pushing her story in the media.”
Olawepo-Hashim dismissed reports of a new court order directing one of his companies to pay ₦300 million, calling it “an invention of an APC night court,” as he claimed no such process was ever served on his legal team.
“This is an act of desperation on their part, and it shows our message is biting them. Picking up stories from bitter women against opposition figures will not save the APC from imminent defeat in 2027,” he stated.
Concluding, he said, “Tales like this did not stop President Trump in America; they won’t stop us here either, by the grace of God.”
