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Tag: Olawepo-Hashim

  • I will never give up on Nigeria, says Olawepo-Hashim declares

    I will never give up on Nigeria, says Olawepo-Hashim declares

    Former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Nigeria, insisting that surrendering is not an option despite the nation’s deepening political, economic and security challenges.

    Olawepo-Hashim made the declaration in Abuja during a North Central zonal meeting of the Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim Solidarity Movement, which brought together state coordinators from across the region.

    Addressing the gathering, Olawepo-Hashim said Nigeria’s current realities demand steadfast leadership, organised civic engagement and citizens who are willing to remain involved rather than retreat into apathy or despair. He warned that abandoning the country would amount to handing its future over to mediocrity, impunity and misrule.

    According to him, national renewal requires discipline, clarity of purpose and sustained grassroots organisation, stressing that meaningful change is never accidental but the product of deliberate and collective effort. He urged coordinators to deepen community-level engagement while remaining anchored to the core values of accountability, justice and national unity.

    The meeting reviewed the state of the movement across the North Central zone, assessed ongoing mobilisation efforts and agreed on strategies to strengthen coordination and expand the movement’s reach within the region.

    Read Also: Olawepo-Hashim: we’re not intimidated by attacks on PDP

    Coordinators in attendance reaffirmed their commitment to the vision of a Nigeria governed by competence, integrity and inclusiveness, pledging to intensify grassroots organisation and political education across their respective states.

    In a personal reflection, Olawepo-Hashim recalled his long history of political advocacy, which began at the age of 14 when he became a sympathiser of progressive parties of the era.

    “We were not of voting age then, but we pasted posters and sang with excitement,” he said. “As a young boy, I engaged an NPN representative to the National Assembly, who was a family friend, in discussions about economic management based on my rudimentary knowledge of economics and government.”

    He explained that his early activism set him on the path of advocacy for democracy and good governance, a journey that later led to his detention as a political detainee at about the age of 20.

    Olawepo-Hashim urged members to remind Nigerians, particularly the youth, of the country’s past economic strengths and future possibilities.

  • Let’s celebrate Christmas with love,peace, Olawepo-Hashim urges Nigerians

    Let’s celebrate Christmas with love,peace, Olawepo-Hashim urges Nigerians

    A former presidential candidate and frontline politician, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has felicitated Christians and other Nigerians on the occasion of this year’s Christmas season.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by his media office, Olawepo-Hashim urged fellow Nigerians to embrace the values of love, tolerance, sacrifice, and peaceful coexistence.

    He noted that these virtues are essential to sustaining harmony, fostering progress, and advancing the cause of humanity.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain described Christmas as a season that symbolises joy, peace, hope, love, and goodwill, virtues he said are urgently needed in Nigeria at a time when the nation is confronted with numerous developmental and social challenges.

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     “I celebrate with the Christian faithful and urge all Nigerians to remember the true essence of Christmas. In the spirit of the season, we must show love to our neighbours, extend kindness to the less-privileged and the vulnerable, and demonstrate tolerance towards one another across lines of faith, politics, and ethnicity—reflecting the supreme sacrifice and teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ,” Olawepo-Hashim said.

    The businessman urged Nigerians to draw strength from the hope that Christmas brings and to renew their trust in God’s power to restore the nation’s lost glory.

    He also admonished fellow citizens to reflect deeply on the lessons of the season by emulating Christ’s example in promoting peace, unity, and national cohesion.

    According to him, religious tolerance remains a vital pathway to harmonious living.

    “As we observe Christmas this year, let us imbibe the core message of Christ’s ministry and genuinely begin to love our fellow Nigerians as we love ourselves,” Olawepo-Hashim added.

  • Olawepo-Hashim: we’re not intimidated by attacks on PDP

    Olawepo-Hashim: we’re not intimidated by attacks on PDP

    •Ex-presidential candidate warns against ‘one-party agenda’

    A former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said he is not intimidated by either legal or political manoeuvres aimed at weakening the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said Nigeria’s multiparty democracy is too deeply rooted to be destroyed.

    In a statement, Olawepo-Hashim said no individual or party can monopolise power in Nigeria.

    According to him, Nigeria has historically embraced pluralism as a tool for managing its diversity.

    The PDP chieftain noted that the nation’s founding fathers deliberately chose a multiparty system at independence.

    “Nigeria has always been committed to multiparty democracy,” Olawepo-Hashim said. “Even in the First Republic, political power was never concentrated in the hands of one man or one party.”

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    He recalled that despite the towering influence of Sir Ahmadu Bello as the leader of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), other political forces, such as Aminu Kano’s NEPU, J. S. Tarka’s Middle Belt Congress, and Sir Kashim Ibrahim’s Borno People’s Union, coexisted with significant influence and representation.

    Olawepo-Hashim noted that similar political diversity thrived in the Southwest, where the Action Group competed with the NCNC, alongside other regional parties, such as the Ibadan People’s Party.

    He added: “Our democracy has never been a democracy of one star flying in its firmament.

    “In our sky are thousands of stars.”

    The PDP chieftain also recalled his personal involvement in the struggle against military rule, emphasising that the resistance was led from within Nigeria, not from exile.

    Olawepo-Hashim stated that he was part of the internal resistance delegation present at Fort IBB on June 8, 1998, during a critical moment in Nigeria’s history, even as heavy military movements threatened the nation’s future.

    The businessman expressed the firm belief that history would repeat itself.

  • North’s elites must take responsibility for security failures, says Olawepo-Hashim

    North’s elites must take responsibility for security failures, says Olawepo-Hashim

    • Presidential aspirant lauds Musa’s appointment as Defence Minister

    A presidential aspirant and businessman, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has urged northern political and social elites to take responsibility for the worsening insecurity in the region.

    He also applauded the appointment of General Christopher Musa as the Minister of Defence.

    The presidential aspirant described Musa’s appointment as a crucial opportunity that must yield concrete results.

    In a statement yesterday, Olawepo-Hashim said he closely followed Musa’s Senate screening and was impressed by what he called the military chief’s sincerity, clarity and commitment to national service.

    “I watched General Musa’s Senate clearance session. He sounded like someone genuinely committed to Nigeria. I hope he receives the full executive support needed to succeed in this critical assignment,” he said.

    Olawepo-Hashim cautioned that Nigerians — and global security observers — are increasingly losing patience with political promises, stressing that citizens  now expect decisive and immediate action to halt killings, kidnappings and the territorial ambitions of extremist groups in Northern Nigeria.

    “This is not the season for symbolism. This is the season for action. Nigerians want to see immediate steps. This appointment must not become another publicity stunt. We want to see policies, programmes and results,” he warned.

    The presidential aspirant urged the executive and the National Assembly to fast-track the requisite legislation that would foster state and local government policing structures.

    He insisted that no lasting security reform is possible without a strong local security framework.

    Read Also: Nigeria sends fighter jets, ground forces as troops foil coup in Benin Rep

    Olawepo-Hashim also argued that the North must acknowledge the internal governance failures that have fuelled extremist recruitment across the region.

     “That extremists are finding recruits in their thousands is not accidental. It is the product of deep poverty caused by decades of governance failure at the state and local government levels. While the Sahel crisis has contributed, poor local governance has compounded the problem,” he stated.

    Reflecting on what happened during the First Republic, Olawepo-Hashim contrasted the era’s integrity-driven leadership with what he called the opulence and detachment of many present-day Northern leaders.

     “In the days of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, Joseph Tarka, and Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the North was safer, more united and governed with honesty and discipline. Today, too many of our leaders live like oil sheikhs in the midst of mass poverty,” he said.

    According to him, there is a need for leadership renewal across northern Nigeria.

    “It is time for the North to replace leaders who live like oil sheikhs amidst poverty and continue to hold onto power through ethnic and religious manipulation,” he added.

  • Olawepo-Hashim donates reusable sanitary wears worth N5m to over 2,000 girls

    Olawepo-Hashim donates reusable sanitary wears worth N5m to over 2,000 girls

    A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has donated reusable sanitary pads worth over N5 million to girls across the Northcentral.

    Speaking during the presentation in Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim said the gesture was part of his ongoing efforts to support adolescent girls, especially those affected by the economic hardship in the country.

    He said over 2,000 girls would benefit from the first phase of the sanitary products, while more beneficiaries would be included in subsequent phases of production and distribution.

    Also, one of the coordinators and former Commissioner of Girl Guide in Plateau State, Mrs. Judith Fidelis, explained that the gesture was inspired by the growing inability of many young girls to afford disposable sanitary pads due to rising costs.

    “His Excellency was moved to act because of the current economic realities. Many young girls cannot afford disposable pads, so this initiative was born out of concern for their dignity and well-being,” she said.

    Mrs. Fidelis noted that the reusable pads are eco-friendly and made from locally sourced materials.

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    “During our research, we discovered that disposable pads often litter the streets and take hundreds of years to decompose. This reusable pad is safe, hygienic, and environmentally friendly. It can be washed, dried, and reused comfortably,” she added.

    Explaining the production process, the coordinator announced that the product, branded ‘Nature Drip’, was duly registered and certified by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

    “When production started, SON inspected our facility and was satisfied. The pads were also subjected to laboratory testing and autoclaving for sterilization before packaging,” she said.

    Mrs. Fidelis assured the beneficiaries that the pads are durable and cost-effective.

    “With two or three of these pads, a girl can manage comfortably for a year if properly maintained. It is economical, sustainable, and promotes menstrual hygiene,” she said.

    The coordinator praised Olawepo-Hashim for his commitment to empowering women and girls, describing him as “a leader who genuinely cares about the girl child, not just a politician seeking votes”.

    The initiative, according to the organisers, aims to promote menstrual hygiene, reduce school absenteeism among girls, and contribute to environmental sustainability.

    The scheme was sponsored through the Gbenga Hashim Foundation.

  • Olawepo-Hashim: Africans mustlet democracy make sense

    Olawepo-Hashim: Africans mustlet democracy make sense

    A residential aspirant, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has warned that democracy in Africa risks sliding back into dictatorship unless political leaders make tangible concessions to the people.

    He said the political leaders would achieve this by embedding social welfare and economic justice into governance.

    Olawepo-Hashim spoke yesterday in Abuja at the National Conference on the Future of Democracy in Nigeria, organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA).

    The former presidential candidate said democracy must go beyond elections to deliver prosperity, jobs, and hope to the citizens.

    He alluded to the remarks of a former Head of State who once remarked that “people will not eat democracy,” stressing that unless democracy brought food on the table and better living conditions, it would lose legitimacy among the populace.

    “When democracy ceases to offer opportunity or hope, despair breeds nostalgia for authoritarianism,” he said.

    Drawing lessons from history, the presidential hopeful compared Africa’s current democratic struggles to Europe’s experience after the World War I, when fragile democracies collapsed under economic hardship and social division—ushering in dictators like Mussolini, Hitler, and Franco.

    “If African democracies continue to produce hunger and insecurity, relapse to autocracy is inevitable,” he warned.

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    Olawepo-Hashim maintained that constitutional reforms alone are not enough to save democracy, insisting that the strength of institutions ultimately depends on the integrity of those who run them.

    “Institutions are only as strong as the values of the individuals who manage them,” he said. “Even under military rule, some judges defied pressure to uphold justice. Many African nations once came to Nigeria to ‘export judges’ because of our integrity.”

    Olawepo-Hashim praised a former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, for his courage in conducting the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election despite enormous political pressure and fake court injunctions.

    “Without Nwosu’s values, there would be no June 12 to remember,” Olawepo-Hashim declared. “His conduct remains legendary and should be celebrated.”

    He urged Nigerian leaders to rebuild public confidence in democracy by delivering performance, fairness, and accountability instead of relying on periodic elections.

    “Our democracy must deliver, must make sense, and must endure. Like our youths would say, ‘make it make sense.’ We must make our democracy make sense,” he stated.

  • Olawepo-Hashim to speak on future of democracy

    Olawepo-Hashim to speak on future of democracy

    A former presidential candidate and public policy advocate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, is set to headline the National Conference on the Future of Democracy in Nigeria, organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA).

    The high-level conference, with the theme: Sustaining Democratic Growth Beyond the Polls for Effective Governance, is scheduled for Wednesday, November 12 at the NILDS Conference Hall, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway, Abuja.

    A statement by PAACA’s Executive Director Ezenwa Nwagwu said the event is designed to spark a national conversation on how Nigeria can consolidate its democracy through institutional resilience, governance accountability, and civic participation that transcend electoral moments.

    Olawepo-Hashim, who will speak on the topic: The Future of Democracy in Nigeria: Building Institutions that Outlast Elections, is expected to dissect the core challenges confronting democratic consolidation and offer pragmatic solutions for reforming political institutions to serve the people rather than power brokers.

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    According to Nwagwu, Olawepo-Hashim’s participation will bring a wealth of experience and ideological depth to the dialogue, given his longstanding advocacy for governance rooted in equity, inclusivity, and rule of law.

    “Dr. Olawepo-Hashim’s voice remains critical in shaping a vision of democracy that endures beyond elections. His insights will help chart pathways for building stronger institutions capable of delivering justice, prosperity, and stability for all Nigerians,” the statement said.

    The conference will bring together policymakers, civil society leaders, academics, and youth advocates from across the country to examine Nigeria’s democratic trajectory and identify practical steps toward institutional reform and credible governance.

  • Olawepo-Hashim rallies North central PDP chieftains for reconciliation

    Olawepo-Hashim rallies North central PDP chieftains for reconciliation

    •Party stalwart visits Saraki, hosts Sango

    A former presidential candidate and party stalwart, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has embarked on a reconciliation mission across the Northcentral zone to reposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of its next National Convention.

    Olawepo-Hashim, known for his advocacy for political reform and national unity, met with key PDP figures, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki and ex-Minister of Sports, Damishi Sango.

    The visits were a part of his efforts to rebuild trust and cohesion within the party.

    During a meeting in his Abuja office, Olawepo-Hashim hosted Sango, who was accompanied by Mr. Sam Habu, a longtime aide to the late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the founding National Chairman of the PDP and former governor of old Plateau State.

    “We were both mentees of Chief Solomon Lar, the Emancipator. Our discussion centred on reconciling leaders in Plateau and across the Northcentral zone,” Olawepo-Hashim said.

    Continuing his bridge-building effort, the PDP stalwart also held talks with Saraki over the weekend in what has been described as a “strategic political conversation” focused on rebuilding the PDP’s structures and strengthening its national outlook.

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    “We agreed to work together for the greater interest of Nigeria — to rebuild the PDP in the Northcentral zone and the nation at large. To God be the Glory,” Olawepo-Hashim stated.

    Political observers view Olawepo-Hashim’s latest engagements are said to be part of a renewed consolidation of the PDP’s Northcentral bloc, long regarded as the moral conscience of the party.

    His outreach to influential figures like Saraki and Sango signals his emergence as a unifying force and consensus builder in opposition politics.

    As the PDP works to reclaim lost grounds and redefine its national strategy, Olawepo-Hashim’s reconciliation drive is fast becoming a rallying point for leaders seeking to restore the party’s unity and strength ahead of the next political cycle.

  • Olawepo-Hashim meets Saraki, Sango, rallies North Central PDP

    Olawepo-Hashim meets Saraki, Sango, rallies North Central PDP

    In a bold step to reposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of its next National Convention, former presidential aspirant, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has embarked on a reconciliation mission across the North Central zone.

    Hashim, known for his advocacy for political reform and national unity, met with key PDP figures, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki and ex-Minister of Sports Hon. Damishi Sango, as part of efforts to rebuild trust and cohesion within the party.

    During a meeting in his Abuja office, Hashim hosted Sango, who was accompanied by Mr. Sam Habu, a longtime aide to the late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the revered founding chairman of the PDP and former Governor of old Plateau State.

    “We were both mentees of Chief Solomon Lar, the Emancipator. Our discussion centered on reconciling leaders in Plateau and across the North Central zone,” Olawepo-Hashim said.

    Continuing his bridge-building effort, Hashim also held talks with Saraki over the weekend in what insiders described as a “strategic political conversation” focused on rebuilding the PDP’s structures and strengthening its national outlook.

    “We agreed to work together for the greater interest of Nigeria—to rebuild the PDP in the North Central zone and the nation at large. To God be the Glory,” Olawepo-Hashim stated.

    Political observers view Hashim’s latest engagements as a renewed consolidation of the PDP’s North Central bloc, long regarded as the moral conscience of the party. His outreach to influential figures like Saraki and Sango signals his emergence as a unifying force and consensus builder in opposition politics.

    As the PDP works to reclaim lost ground and redefine its national strategy, Gbenga Hashim’s reconciliation drive is fast becoming a rallying point for leaders seeking to restore the party’s unity and strength ahead of the next political cycle.

  • Olawepo-Hashim: I, Saraki to work together

    Olawepo-Hashim: I, Saraki to work together

    Businessman and stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said he and former Senate President Bukola Saraki have decided to team up for the greater good of the party and the nation.

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    In a statement yesterday, Olawepo-Hashim said: “Tonight, I visited with my brother and great leader of the Eighth National Assembly, His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki. We agreed to work together for the greater interest of Nigeria to rebuild the PDP in the Northcentral Zone and the nation at large.

    “To God be the Glory!

    “#NationalUnityandReconciliation!”