One of the chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has declared that the South West will not support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying the region would not “reward failure with another mandate.”
This was contained in a statement issued in Ilorin by the South West Coordinator of the Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM), Alhaji Abass Olaniyi, while reacting to an appeal by political commentator Reno Omokri urging the South West and the North to back Tinubu in 2027.
Omokri, in a widely circulated statement, likened his appeal to the North’s decision to support former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 despite criticisms of poor performance, insisting Tinubu had expanded Nigeria’s GDP and launched infrastructure projects in the North.
But Olaniyi dismissed the argument as “political deception and manipulation,” stressing that governance is about competence, not ethnic reciprocity or emotional blackmail.
“Our people are too politically conscious to reward hunger, poverty, and economic collapse with fresh endorsement,” he said.
The GHSM coordinator faulted the economic record of the APC-led government, noting that Nigeria’s GDP had shrunk from over $570 billion in 2014 to less than $300 billion, representing a 50 percent contraction. He described Tinubu’s claims of economic growth as “a mirage created by currency devaluation that leaves Nigerians poorer than ever,” adding that food and basic commodities had become unaffordable.
Positioning Olawepo-Hashim as the South West’s political alternative, Olaniyi said the former presidential candidate possessed “the vision, global exposure, and economic acumen” to unite the North and South on the basis of fairness and competence.
“The South West cannot tie its destiny to a sinking ship. Across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti, the conversation is already tilting towards Gbenga Hashim. He represents the hope and new beginning that Nigeria desperately needs,” he said.
He further urged Northern leaders to resist divisive appeals and align with “genuine progressive forces” committed to rescuing Nigeria from years of misrule.
“2027 is a defining year. Nigerians must rise above deception and sentiment to embrace competent leadership. The South West is ready to lead that change, and Gbenga Hashim is the rallying point,” Olaniyi concluded.
