A former presidential candidate and elder statesman, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has strongly rebuked opposition politicians employing ethnic rhetoric to gain political advantage, describing such tactics as obsolete and harmful to the unity and development of the country.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Olawepo-Hashim warned that the continued deployment of ethnic sentiments in political discourse is a distraction from the pressing issues confronting the country.
He called for a shift toward solution-driven engagement that addresses Nigeria’s economic collapse, rampant insecurity, and foreign policy failures. “Those still stuck in the old game of ethnic blackmail should understand that Nigerians have outgrown that playbook,” he declared. “The people are looking for competent leadership, not ethnic champions.”
Olawepo-Hashim expressed particular concern over recent attempts to brand the administration of President Bola Tinubu as a “Yoruba government,” dismissing such claims as both baseless and ironic. President Tinubu struggled to win support even among his own ethnic group,” he said. “He lost Lagos—arguably the heart of the Yoruba political base—in the 2023 presidential election. So, on what grounds is anyone now calling this a tribal government?”
The former presidential hopeful also accused some former allies of President Tinubu—who were instrumental in his rise to power—of resorting to ethnic incitement because their personal ambitions were unmet.
“It is pure hypocrisy,” he asserted. “You cannot install a government and then disown it on ethnic grounds when your expectations aren’t fulfilled.”
To further buttress his position, Olawepo-Hashim cited historic instances where Nigerian voters defied ethnic lines in favour of leadership they believed in.
“In 1993, Kano voters chose Moshood Abiola, a Yoruba man, over their kinsman Bashir Tofa. In 2023, Lagosians voted for Peter Obi, an Igbo candidate, over Tinubu. Yet, they returned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Nigerians are far more politically mature than many politicians assume.”
According to him, the real crisis confronting the country is not ethnicity but the absence of purposeful, visionary leadership.
“The nation is groaning under inflation, rising poverty, food insecurity, and a worsening security situation. These are the matters that deserve attention, not tired ethnic narratives.”
Dr Olawepo-Hashim concluded by urging political leaders to rise above parochialism and build a genuine alternative rooted in policy substance, performance, and national unity.
“If Nigeria is to move forward, we must reject ethnic division and embrace issue-based leadership. That is the only path to sustainable progress.”
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