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• Warns 2027 polls must not fall below 2015 standard
From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Presidential Candidate of the Accord Party, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has expressed concern over President Bola Tinubu’s remarks during his recent meeting with Catholic Bishops at the State House, saying the President’s public communication left him saddened rather than angry.
Hashim, Co-Chairman of the Movement for Democratic Renewal, said he listened repeatedly to the President’s remarks and came away with the impression that the Tinubu he heard was markedly different from the man he interacted with on several occasions between 2018 and 2021.
“I listened to the recording over and over again. That was not the Bola Tinubu I knew between 2018 and 2021. I left deeply concerned. I am not making a medical diagnosis, but the President’s public communication gives me the impression that he may require genuine help.”
Hashim said his concern was not political but human, adding that he felt sympathy for the President despite the anger expressed by many Nigerians over his administration.
“Unlike many Nigerians who are angry with him, I genuinely feel pity for President Tinubu. My greatest worry is that those around him appear more interested in securing another election than in giving him the care he deserves. If they truly love him, they should put his wellbeing and the national interest above politics,” he said.
The Accord Party presidential candidate, however, warned that whatever challenges the President might be facing should not become an excuse for undermining Nigeria’s democracy and stability.
“While we express concern over the President’s recent public communication, let us also make one thing unmistakably clear: Nigeria must never return to the dark era when elections were won by every means necessary,” Hashim said.
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He recalled the 2015 general election, when then President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat and peacefully transferred power to the opposition, describing the development as a major democratic milestone for Nigeria.
“That election elevated Nigeria’s democratic standing before the world. Ironically, the beneficiary of that democratic maturity was the party that produced President Tinubu. History must not now be reversed.”
Hashim said the 2027 general election must meet and surpass the democratic standard set in 2015, warning against any attempt to compromise the credibility of the polls.
“Let it be heard loudly across Nigeria and beyond: any election that falls short of the 2015 democratic standard will not be acceptable to the Nigerian people or to Nigeria’s friends across the world.”
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other democratic institutions to discharge their constitutional responsibilities with neutrality and professionalism.
“The credibility of 2027 will determine the future of our democracy. Nigeria needs free and fair elections, not coronations. Our institutions must serve the Constitution, not any individual or political party.”
Hashim maintained that Nigeria’s democracy was bigger than any government, political party or individual ambition, warning against attempts by political interests to undermine democratic institutions.
“This is a defining moment. We owe future generations a democracy stronger than the one we inherited. Nigeria must move forward, not backwards,” he said.
