Dr Funmi Olawepo-Hashim has accused her estranged husband and former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, of using political conspiracy claims to divert attention from allegations of child neglect.
This online medium reports that Funmi, who last week accused the politician of failing to pay school fees and upkeep for their twin children in the United Kingdom, said her ex-husband had resorted to “reckless and baseless” allegations rather than address his responsibilities.
She also cited a judgment by Justice Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which awarded ₦300m in damages against Olawepo-Hashim and one of his companies for breach of corporate governance.
Reacting to Olawepo-Hashim’s claim that elements of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were behind her media statements, Funmi dismissed the assertion as malicious.
She stated, “Was it any political party or individual that directed him to abandon his duties as a father for over nine years? Was it the APC that stopped him from paying his children’s school fees or providing for their upkeep? These were his personal choices, and he alone must take full responsibility for them.”
Funmi also described as false the claim that she failed to provide account details for the children’s needs, insisting she had “extensive email records from 2016–2025, as well as school correspondence and invoices sent repeatedly to him and his legal team, all of which were ignored.”
According to her, Olawepo-Hashim only made limited payments in 2025 after her public outcry drew attention.
Faulting claims that she denied her ex-husband access to the twins, Funmi pointed to a UK court order that granted him physical access while in the country, alongside weekly communication rights via email, phone, or text.
“There is irrefutable evidence of my consistent efforts to promote co-parenting, all of which he has rebuffed. Mr. Olawepo-Hashim has shown a consistent pattern of absconding from his parental and moral responsibilities,” she said.
She also denied allegations that she attempted to “frame him up” with the UK government or the National Intelligence Agency, calling them “reckless, defamatory, and baseless.”
Funmi insisted that her ex-husband must obey existing court rulings.
“The court has made judgment as an unbiased third party based on the facts before it. We don’t need a retrial. He needs to comply with both UK and Nigerian court orders. The debts he and his companies owe me remain unpaid, and no amount of misinformation will erase the documented facts and court rulings already on record,” she maintained.
Olawepo-Hashim Sticks To Political Conspiracy Claim
Olawepo-Hashim, in his reaction to the wife’s claim in an interview with Punch, referred to his earlier statement, where he alleged that his ex-wife’s actions were part of a smear campaign orchestrated by APC handlers ahead of 2027.
He described her as “a professional blackmailer and social climber,” claiming she was funded with millions of dollars and nominated for several foreign grants by political allies bent on discrediting him.
The former presidential candidate also insisted there was no new ₦300m court order against his company, dismissing it as “an invention of an APC night court.”
He further alleged that his ex-wife obtained an undefended divorce judgment in England awarding her £18m (about ₦36bn), which was later annulled by a Nigerian court since the marriage was under Nigerian law.
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, 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 added, “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.”
