Former presidential candidate and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has pledged to promote national unity and resist divisive politics rooted in zoning and other extra-constitutional arrangements.
Speaking at an interactive session with senior media executives in Lagos over the weekend, Olawepo-Hashim said Nigeria’s unity has long been undermined by politicians who exploit ethnic and religious sentiments for personal gain.
“Despite the fact that Nigerian voters have repeatedly shown that they care less about where a leader comes from, a new class of political opportunists continues to distract the nation from pressing issues like economic development and security, which are the real concerns of Nigerians, whether Northerners or Southerners,” he stated.
His remarks come in the wake of the PDP’s recent National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to zone the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
Rejecting such divides, Olawepo-Hashim stressed his commitment to advancing issues that unite Nigerians.
“We shall continue to rally the nation around the ideals of unity rather than division. The founding fathers of our country demonstrated this spirit of oneness, Dr. Herbert Macaulay, a Yoruba man, handed over the NCNC to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo man. Chief Obafemi Awolowo supported Ernest Ikoli, an Ijaw man, against a fellow Ijebu aspirant. Joseph Tarka, leader of the Tiv nation, stood by Kashim Ibrahim, a Kanuri Muslim, to win a Christian-dominated constituency. And the people of Kano overwhelmingly voted for Chief MKO Abiola against their own son, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, in the historic June 12, 1993 elections.”
He added that Nigeria must draw inspiration from the sacrifices of past leaders who upheld unity over division.
“We shall not allow the flame of unity in diversity to be extinguished by political actors who pollute the system with wealth acquired from the public treasury. On our part, we will strive to amplify the best in us, not our worst,” he said.
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