Southwest Rejects Atiku’s Advances, Backs Gbenga-Hashim for 2027

The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) South West chapter has stated that Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has already been chosen as the region’s preferred presidential candidate for the general elections in 2027. It further asserts that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent attempts to reach out to the Yoruba people “carry little weight.”

Atiku, who is currently a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had earlier this week promised the Yorubas that, should he be elected president, their interests will be the first priority of his administration.

The former vice president dismissed concerns about Fulani’s domination as “unfounded,” citing his personal connections and marriage to the area, calling the South West his “extended family.”

GHSM South West Coordinator Alhaji Abass Olaniyi, however, responded in Osogbo on Thursday, dismissing Atiku’s comments as romantic language that ignores the pressing needs of the Yoruba people and Nigerians in general.

The South West is not influenced by sentimental statements or empty rhetoric. For a better Nigeria, our people have always needed leadership based on competence, honesty, and a clear vision. We wholeheartedly support Dr. Gbenga Hashim for this reason,” Olaniyi stated.

He asserts that Gbenga Hashim is more than just a politician running for politics. He is a democrat with impeccable ethics, a prosperous businessman with international recognition, and a bridge builder who can bring the North and South together.

Hashim’s Yoruba heritage and national acceptance, Olaniyi underlined, make him especially suited to represent the progressive ideals of justice, equity, and innovation in the region while simultaneously meeting national goals.

“Moreover, Dr. Hashim is running on the platform of a larger politics, and the PDP, a platform bigger than Atiku’s ADC,” Olaniyi said.

He also compared Hashim to Atiku, characterizing the former vice president as a symbol of Nigerian politics’ “old order.”

Our folks want more than just assurances that they will be “in-laws” or a part of a large family. We are looking for a leader with the guts to restructure Nigeria, who can restore confidence in the government, and who is aware of the intricacies of the modern global economy. The leader in question is Gbenga Hashim, he said.

Additionally, the GHSM South West Coordinator called for Yoruba leaders, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, and young people to rally their support for Hashim, calling him the candidate of conscience who can bring Nigeria together, put an end to insecurity, and boost the country’s economy.

In closing, Olaniyi said that the South West has a history of supporting progressive ideas, and that in 2027, that heritage will be maintained by steadfastly supporting Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim.