₦airaland Forum

2019: ANN will sweep APC, PDP off the political turf —Olawepo-Hashim

Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), a party comprised mainly of technocrats and professionals. He spoke to newsmen on the sidelines of the party’s first national convention held in Abuja where he insists that the party is truly out to do thing differently from what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have done. Group Politics Editor, Taiwo Adisa, presents the excerpts.



You were a well-known member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when you served as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary at its inception. What is it about the PDP that is so objectionable to you that made you dump that platform in pursuit of your presidential ambition?

I left PDP in November 2006 about 12 years ago. I had issues at that time with the PDP and I think the party now is worse than then. We had were issues of internal democracy and the standards were even pretty high in terms of values and we even questioned those standards then that they were not adequate. So, you can imagine what it has become now. I think it’s pretty worse now than when we formed the party. We started with issues of internal democracy right from around year 2000 and 2001, when some of our colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) wanted automatic extension of their tenure from two years to four years. Late Harry Marshal, myself, and others challenged it, even though we were supposed to be beneficiaries of that extension. We felt it was objectionable. We had just come from military dictatorship and coming into democracy, we were not supposed to be conducting ourselves with impunity. So, that was the fight then around 2000, almost two decades ago now.

Then, by 2006, it was clear that the party was not ready to reform itself and a lot of people exited the party including the founders of the party that made victory possible. That was why you saw that the 2007 election was perhaps the worst election that Nigeria ever had. 2007 election was like warfare because they had lost support of most of the members that made victory possible. So, they needed to rig election massively. That was the election conducted by Professor Maurice Iwu with soldiers; very terrible election. Some of these people who became governors in that era on the PDP platform didn’t really win elections. Some of them afterwards continued their careers and transformed themselves to Senators and all that. So, the perfidy did not just start today. The perfidy started from that era and of course it began to go from bad to worst.

But the other dimension was that as you had people who were not reflecting genuine popularity, who were helped into office through rigging and all that, they had less loyalty to people’s welfare. So, it also took a toll on the quality of leadership. You had some Governors who were going to hand over to their successors, virtually just making their houseboys governors. Some of them made their cash officers or account officers in banks to become governors. Some of them never had any kind of political tutelage at anytime. You can imagine, I just make my account officer in the bank; I say I’m going; you are the one who can cover my track. Come and become a governor. The guy had never participated in politics. He had never even been a student union leader. He has never been a leader in the CAN or a Muslim organisation where we have some rudiments of organising people, and straight, he becomes chief executive of a state.



Are you not generalising the situation?

All these things have consequences – when you turn out leaders who do not have political tutelage, no ideological training. So, they just come into public office and just behave like rascals. That’s what you had in the PDP and of course, the APC that succeeded PDP is not any different. In fact, it’s the worst because they are not even a political party. It was just a conspiracy to remove [Goodluck] Jonathan out of office and as soon as they came, they were confused. They were completely confused about how to approach the economy, how to approach politics and they were running a disorganized government. The National Assembly under the APC government is a different party entirely from those in the Executive and they were perennially at war from beginning to the end of that government. So, they were worse than even the PDP.

I’m still trying to situate your name as it used to be known when you were in the PDP and what you are known as now and also it appears your home state then has changed from what you have today. Today, you are contesting from the FCT why the transformation?

That’s the Nigeria I want. That’s the Nigeria the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) wants. I‘ve lived in Abuja at least for a while, doing business for more than twenty something years. So, you shouldn’t have a problem with Mrs. Clinton doing politics and then going back to New York to contest for Senate, or in Nigeria, [Governor Rauf] Aregbesola moving from Lagos. So, this is not the first time we are having this type of thing. The country we want to build is the country where your regional descent should not define you politically. In my case, of course, I have heritage in about three states and apart from that, I have lived abroad for about 10 years of my life. So, I’m completely a cosmopolitan person and we have a lot of Nigerians having dual citizenship. I don’t have dual citizenship. I have only the Nigerian passport. I’ve had the opportunity of taking citizenship of other countries but I had never done that. What I’m saying is that you have people who were born abroad who could even contest to become British Prime Minister. So, why should that be a big issue in Nigeria?

So the Nigeria of our dream is the Nigeria where any Nigerian can get up from anywhere and contest for public office and that was the beauty of Nigeria before. I was just talking about Sir. Kashim Ibrahim running election in Benue – a Borno man in a predominantly Christian state, a Muslim and he was elected into the Northern Assembly. You talk about Zik of Africa who was elected into the Western House of Assembly. I think what we have now is a complete degeneracy in our polity in this era. The founding fathers of our Republic were more progressive and more forward looking, whether they were from the North or West or from wherever. They were more nationalistic and more patriotic. It beats my imagination that the younger generation who claims to be more educated and more exposed, are regressing into clannishness which wasn’t even the case in the First Republic. So, we need to take Nigeria back to those values that gave Nigeria independence; a Nigeria where an Igala man can become the Mayor of Enugu and Enugu people will have no qualms about it. That’s the Nigeria our founding fathers left for us. So we cannot bequeath a Nigeria of the herdsmen that will start slitting the throats of citizens. That’s not the Nigeria we want to leave for our children.

I think there is a lot of irresponsibility on the part of the leadership where the body language of the various leaders have been encouraging division, rather than bringing Nigeria together. So, the fact that I’m happy to say that Abuja is my base now, we are also sending a message that that is the Nigeria we want to build. That is the Nigeria we want to have, where you can play politics from where you live and you don’t have to retreat to your ancestral origin before you can do politics. That’s the new Nigeria we want to build.



You have identified the two main political parties as the two horses for the 2019 contest and you have also stated that the ANN will make the race a three horse race. How is your party planning to get to number one from the perceived number three positions it is now?

The two horses are on their way to death already. They are bleeding very horribly. They are both APC and PDP. One thing that is interesting is that you have almost 10 million voters who are going to be voting for the first time in Nigeria. Most of them are not followers of these two horses you are talking about. In fact, they are the crop of people who ordinarily were not showing interest in politics, who are incensed by the shenanigans of those two major parties, that they don’t want to vote for either of these parties. These are the first line of support for the ANN. In a three-way race, if you start with 70 per cent of that vote, you are already halfway through and you can do your research. These ones are unlikely to vote for PDP or APC. So, that is the starting point.

Then you have a number of patriotic people even in the APC and PDP who have been trapped in that politics and these people have been given the impression that it’s either this one or that one. But the ANN is offering a ray of hope that captures their imagination. They are already leaving the two parties in droves. Ordinarily, a lot of Nigerians are forward looking and they are really yearning for a new Nigeria, a new polity. You can also do your independent findings. If you try to find out who these people are likely to vote for, you will see that majority of electorates, apart from those who make a living of politics, are not interested in APC or PDP.



What is this programme or the ideology of the ANN that you profess?

Number one, you will see that majority of the people in ANN are people who have something they are doing with their hands. They are not professional politicians who live on politics. The party believes in productive engagement. That is number one and consequently, the focus of the party is not to distribute handouts, but to make sure that we have sustainable employment that is tied to industry, that is tied to manufacturing. Job is central to that. Creative people who are utilizing their creative energy to make value for society is central to that. These are the kinds of people you want to encourage in politics. They are the kinds of people you want to use your political platform to empower.

Then we want a Nigeria that is not going to be driven on the basis of ethnicity or religious bigotry. We want a Nigeria where merit will determine a lot of things that will drive the values that society runs on. These are things that are quite different. That’s not what you see in the two biggest parties in Nigeria. Anytime they are talking, it’s about zoning; it’s about whether the President is going to be from the South or from the East and all that. That is the conversation all the time. There is no serious focus on how do we grow infrastructure. There is no conversation on how do we create jobs. There is no conversation on how do we expand the GDP and the economy. That’s not the conversation. Their conversation is who is leaving the PDP tomorrow for APC; what is the next permutation. That is all the conversation and that is nonsense,bunkum. Nigeria’s conversation about politics should be about jobs, about economy and that is when people cannot escape responsibilities. But when you make the conversation all about religion and all that, these are inanities and lot of people can run away with a lot of things. It’s that conversation that has fowled the atmosphere so much now and you see criminals who should be in jail will escape with the loot because when you want to arrest them, they will say I’m from this corner or that corner. Then people from their village will go and make a public display that they are persecuting our son because the whole conversation is about ethnicity. So, it makes nonsense of anti-corruption. It makes nonsense of failure in governance. But when you elevate the issues, then people cannot hide and escape the consequences of their criminal actions.



You have put a lot of energy in reorganising the ANN, if you don’t get the presidential ticket, what will you do?

I will still continue in ANN. But members of ANN are not stupid. They want to put their best foot forward for Nigerians so that the party can win and that is what we are working hard on.



How can your party match the level of vote buying we have seen in recent elections?

That is a job for all of us, including the media. But the level of poverty in the country encourages it. I also think that those who have stolen a lot of money from government also encourage it. So, once you de-market certain categories of people and that is the job of all of us, I think the vote buying will reduce, especially de-marketing them by making the election about issues. But when the choices are not very sharp, or when the differences in the political platform are not clear, then the electorate will say they are the same; why should I choose one over the other, except the one that offers me something because there is no difference between APC and PDP. Tell me why anybody should prefer PDP to APC? There is no reason to be honest with you. So, that’s an incentive for vote buying, when there is no difference between the political parties. But when there is a clear difference, I think the scope of vote buying will become narrower.



Specifically, why do you want to be President?

I can put Nigeria back together. Nigeria is badly divided and it needs a unifier and a bridge builder. Secondly, Nigeria’s economy needs to be rescued from complete collapse. Even the growth rate of 7 per cent that we have for about 15 years until 2015 was not a good enough number to grow Nigeria out of poverty. We needed our GDP to expand sevenfold to be able to be at par with the countries that were in the same rank as Nigeria’s like Malaysia at independence. We want to evolve a middle income country, having per capita income of between $16,000 to around $25,000 and if we are going to be at that level, we need to grow within ten years, our GDP by sevenfold. I understand how the modern economy is organised and I’m an investor myself in different countries and I have done business for 27 years.

So, I have practical understanding of how to expand our GDP and grow our economy, as one who is on top of both economy, practically and theoretically. There are very few people in Nigeria who have the privilege of having strong level of political training and also sound economics and that’s important for Nigeria. We have to unite the country and at the same time, we have to deal with the economic challenges. So, they are twin issues and in fact they are related. At the bottom of some of these challenges in the country is competition for resources and massive poverty. It also contribute to the number of these upheavals that we are having in different parts of the country. Some of the realities are quite scary and needs the urgency of now to arrest them. Otherwise, if the trend continues, things can really run out of hand. Some months ago, we were discussing with some people who came to visit us from Shiroro (Niger state) and we were talking about insecurity, they said the kind of insecurity we are seeing now is not just about herdsmen and farmers clashes; that in Shiroro now, once they bury their yams in the ground around the planting season, some people will go and unearth the yams; some will even go and sell the seedlings in the market in order to have some money. So, what they do now is they mark the yam seedlings with paints so that when it shows up at the market, everybody will know that this is a stolen yam. This is where we have come to in Shiroro in Niger State. So, are you going to send policemen to be manning every farm in Nigeria? This is a huge social economic crisis. That one is no longer just security problem. It’s a serious problem of chronic poverty and collapse of all the economic lever of hope. This matter is an urgent matter. You cannot discuss some of these security challenges outside the issue of poverty and the collapse of the economic support system for the people to live to be human beings in the first place. That demands an urgency of now.

But the discussions and analysis of 2019 leaves all these practical questions out. It’s about what is about what are the chances of this person; how many House of Reps members are following him? How many Governors do they have? The real issues are left out and we will ensure by the grace of God that 2019 election is going to be about issues. It’s not just going to be about the shenanigans of politics.

https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/160518/

Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim is aspiring to be president of Nigeria on the platform of the newly registered Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), a party, styled as the party of technoticians mainly on account of the professionals and non-career politicians in its fold.

On the periphery of the party’s national convention penultimate Saturday, Mr. Olawepo-Hashim, in an interview, ventilated his thoughts on his aspiration and the state of the nation.

Excerpts:

Despite your prominent role in the evolution of the PDP, why did you leave the party?

I left PDP in November 2006 about 12 years ago. I had issues at that time with the PDP and I think the party now is worse than then. The issues we had were issues of internal democracy and the standards were even pretty high in terms of values and we even questioned those standards then that they were not adequate. So, you can imagine what it has become now. I think it’s pretty worse now than when we formed the party. We started with issues of internal democracy right from around year 2000 and 2001, when some of our colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) wanted automatic extension of their tenure from two years to four years. Late Harry Marshal, myself, and others challenged it, even though we were supposed to be beneficiaries of that extension. We felt it was objectionable. We had just come from military dictatorship and coming into democracy, we were not supposed to be conducting ourselves with impunity. So, that was the fight then around 2000, almost two decades ago now.


So what happened?

Then, by 2006, it was clear that the party was not ready to reform itself and a lot of people exited the party including the founders of the party that made victory possible. That was why you saw that the 2007 election was perhaps the worst election that Nigeria ever had. 2007 election was like warfare because they had lost support of most of the members that made victory possible. So, the perfidy did not just start today. The perfidy started from that era and of course it began to go from bad to worse.

How can your party break through to take the pre-eminence over the two major political parties in the country today?

The two horses are on their way to death already. They are bleeding very horribly. They are both APC and PDP. One thing that is interesting is that you have almost 10 million voters who are going to be voting for the first time in Nigeria. Most of them are not followers of these two horses. In fact, they are the crop of people who ordinarily were not showing interest in politics, who are incensed by the shenanigans of those two major parties, that they don’t want to vote for either of these parties. These are the first line of support for the ANN. In a three-way race, if you start with 70 percent of that vote, you are already halfway through and you can do your research. These ones are unlikely to vote for PDP or APC. So, that is the starting point.

Having left the PDP in 2006, what did you engage yourself with between 2006 and 2018?

Since 1992, I’ve been a businessman. I’ve never had any other occupation rather than running my business for over 27 years. Politics is the one that is my second address, not my first job.

You have put a lot of energy in reorganizing the ANN, if you don’t get the presidential ticket, what will you do?

I will still continue in ANN. But members of ANN are not stupid. They want to put their best foot forward for Nigerians so that the party can win and that is what we are working hard on.

Specifically, why do you want to be President?

I can put Nigeria back together. Nigeria is badly divided and it needs a unifier and a bridge builder. Secondly, Nigeria’s economy needs to be rescued from complete collapse.

At the bottom of some of these challenges in the country is competition for resources and massive poverty. It also contributes to the number of these upheavals that we are having in different parts of the country. Some of the realities are quite scary and needs the urgency of now to arrest them. Otherwise, if the trend continues, things can really run out of hand.

Some months ago, we were discussing with some people who came to visit us from Shiroro (Niger State) and we were talking about insecurity, they said the kind of insecurity we are seeing now is not just about herdsmen and farmers clashes; that in Shiroro now, once they bury their yams in the ground around the planting season, some people will go and unearth the yams; some will even go and sell the seedlings in the market in order to have some money.

So, what they do now is to mark the yam seedlings with paints so that when it shows up at the market, everybody will know that this is a stolen yam. This is where we have come to. So, are you going to send policemen to be manning every farm in Nigeria? This is a huge social economic crisis.

That one is no longer just security problem. It’s a serious problem of chronic poverty and collapse of all the economic lever of hope. This matter is an urgent matter. You cannot discuss some of these security challenges outside the issue of poverty and the collapse of the economic support system for the people to live to be human beings in the first place. That demands an urgency of now.

But the discussions and analysis of 2019 leaves all these practical questions out. It’s about what is about what are the chances of this person; how many House of Reps members are following him? How many governors do they have? The real issues are left out and we will ensure by the grace of God that 2019 election is going to be about issues. It’s not just going to be about the shenanigans of politics.

Is that why you call yourselves technoticians? Can you explain?

That’s a term in ANN. It means basically technocrats, lawyers, doctors, professionals who are also interested in politics. That is the slang in ANN. If I want to make it simpler, it’s people who have something they are doing with their hands.

Do you see your ambition being hampered in one way or the other by the so called issues of politics, which you called shenanigans of politics, zoning, ethnicity, which appear still widespread right now?

I don’t see how my ambition is limited by that. If anything at all, I think Nigerians want a truly Nigerian President. So I don’t see how that limits me. It only helps in a period of great division. Nigerians need at this point a President that will be a true Commander-in-Chief of all Nigerians regardless of where they come from or regardless of their State. That is the President that Nigerians need and that person is me

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/how-ann-will-checkmate-pdp-apc-olawepo-hashim-presidential-aspirant/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDLsu7cO8hs

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Group award Kwara governor as worst in history
https://mrrightsng..com/2018/08/group-award-kwara-governor-as-worse-in.html

Kwara Must Change, a pro-Democracy group is using this opportunity to notify the general public that our movement shall be conferring an award of the worst governor in the history of Nigeria on his Excellency, Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed, the Executive Governor of Kwara State.

Kwara Must Change believe very strongly that only the people can truly rate the performance of an administration and without any iota of doubt, all Kwarans, including those serving in government are anonymous in their conclusion of the devastating failure of Abdulfatai Ahmed led government of Kwara State.

Apart from the absolute lack of leadership by the governor and his dummy like followership of a misguided godfather, evidences of misappropriation, endemic corruption, infrastructural degradation, educational decimation, poverty domestication, political irresponsibility, rascality of the highest order plus other shameful conducts of the governor are too numerous to mention.

We believe that such mind blowing failure needed to be symbolically recognized for the purpose of history, hence the need to confer on the governor, the award of worst Governor not only in the history of Kwara State, but also in the history of Nigeria.

Though, we are aware that Governor Ahmed’s suitability for the award of worst governor in the history of Nigeria is arguable, but most certainly, no one can debate about his undisputable qualification for the award of worst governor In the history of Kwara State.

In term of quality Education, It was under Governor Ahmed that Kwara Must Change discovered several schools across all senatorial district having only one staff, who doubles as head master, cleaner, teacher for all classes from primary 1-6 and teaching all subjects including English and Mathematics.

In term of Grassroot development, It was under Governor Ahmed that Kwara Must Change discovered that some Kwarans in Baruten Local Government are already claiming Benin Republic, not because they wanted to secede to another country, but because they have been totally abandoned in such a manner that they wonder if they are still a part of the state, because there is no road linking them to the rest of the state and they even go to Benin Republic for basic things such as medication because there is no hospital in the whole environment. In this same local government, there has never been electricity for the past 20years. The only time they came close to having electricity was between 1999-2003, when late Governor Alabi Lawal provided all necessary equipment, but upon assumption of office by his successor, all the project was shutdown.

In term of water supply, Under Governor Ahmed’s predecessor, Bukola Saraki, an almost completed water project by late Governor Lawal was halted and another water project was said to have been awarded for N4billion. After 8 years of Saraki administration without any drop of water, Governor Ahmed took over and also continued the imaginary water project, by re-awarding it for another N5billion in his first tenure. Till this day, after a combined N9billion wasted on a so called water project, the Governor is rounding up 8years tenure without any drop of water. The whole state, including the state capital cannot boost of having potable water.

In term of accessible motorable road across the state, Kwara Must Change had also toured the state and found no single state road that is motorable, except the road to the Government house. We had in the past challenged the state government to mention just one state road that is motorable, but even they could not. As it stands today, there is no one single road in Kwara state without pothole.

In term of Workers welfarism, it is no longer news that Kwara state pay the lowest salary in Nigeria, but to make matter worst, even the least salary is not being paid, including non-payment of sweepers salaries who earn maximum of N7000 per month. Just few weeks ago, the dignified sweepers marched in protest to call for public help in getting their 2 years salaries, state owned institution workers also protested last week due to none payment of over a year salary.

These are just the few examples we can cite due to space, but there are many more.

It is in recognition of the monumental failure of Governor Ahmed, that Kwara Must Change deemed it fit to honor the governor, with an award of the worst governor in the history and we hope to ensure this award is properly recorded in history as example to all bad leaders.

Details of the award program shall be made public very soon.

Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
Kwara Must Change

2019 presidency: Who is this Olawepo-Hashim? By Sufuyan Ojeifo

The race for the 2019 presidential election has begun in earnest. In the All Progressives Congress, APC, the candidature of the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari, is a fait accompli. Nevertheless, four aspirants, with little or no political weight, want to square up with him at the party’s primary. This will give the process a semblance of egalitarianism.

In the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, no fewer than ten aspirants are in the jostle for the ticket. Unlike the APC, the PDP parades those considered to be formidable politicians judging by their pedigrees and antecedents.

Olawepo-Hashim
The list of aspirants includes a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; former Jigawa state governor, Sule Lamido; former Sokoto state governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; former Kano state governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, former Kaduna state governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; a former member of the Senate, Dr. Datti Ahmed; and, former minister of special duties, Tanimu Turaki, SAN.

Others are: outgoing governor of Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwambo; incumbent governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal; a serving senator and former Kano state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso; and, the incumbent senate president, Bukola Saraki.

Apart from Atiku, Lamido and Kwankwaso whose political odysseys date back to the ill-fated Third Republic, the others are creations and products of the politics of the Fourth Republic where the shape, texture and content of politics and politicking are defined by narrow interests, sans philosophical details.

But the politics of the First and the Second Republics was, indeed, robust for its ideological flavours and this had some positive influence on that of the Third Republic that was superintended and tempered by the diarchical regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
The calibre of candidates for the presidential elections at those intersections was not in doubt. There was intellectual depth and gravitas. And, where intellectual depth was lacking, the candidates made up for it with their political experiences, abilities and dispositions to provide strong leadership.

Presently, the lack of ideological savour and intellectual rigour has largely discounted the majesty of the contestations for presidential power. The field comprises contenders and pretenders. Pretenders now populate a vast majority of the political party platforms whose agenda is just to appear on the ballot, perhaps for pre and post-election bargains.

However, in contradistinction is the magnitude of the presidential intention of Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, on the political platform of a freshly-minted party, Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN, whose commitment is grounded on a clear ideological foundation that has its history in the avant-garde politics that was nurtured and tempered in the social milieu of the nation’s tertiary institutions, beginning from the mid-eighties.

That solid political background, coupled with twenty-six years of successful business history especially in the oil sector, has not only prepared him for ideological national politics but has also set the tone for his strategic and surefooted quest for the nation’s topmost job. Indeed, the entirety of his commitment-both ideologically and financially to the burgeoning countrywide movement, defines who he is: a politician with a passion to redirect development narrative through provision of transformational leadership and inspiration of a national rebirth.

Significantly, he pursues his mission and vision on the basis of those essential principles. In showing fidelity to principles, he does not care if he stands alone in the process. Olawepo-Hashim has consistently spoken truth to power even in situations where he was an insider. Having won election as deputy national publicity secretary of the PDP in 1999, he led a protest within the party for the entrenchment of internal democracy and due process when the leadership set out to illegally extend its two-year tenure other than by constitutional means.

Whereas, Olawepo-Hashim stood to benefit from the process; he opposed it on the ground of its unconstitutionality. The PDP, with Barnabas Gemade as national chair, consequently expelled him along with some founding leaders like the late Chief S.B. Awoniyi, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the late Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, the late Professor Emmanuel Osammor and Chief Don Etiebet who had, before his internal dissension, protested the flawed national convention that produced Gemade as national chair.

Not many politicians can sacrifice their comfort zones on the basis of some principles in political environments where morality has no footing. But, then, Olawepo-Hashim’s life typifies the struggle, always ready to put his life in harm’s way for protection and advancement of his political beliefs. Indeed, he has been an inner driven person as once attested to by former minister of foreign affairs, the late Chief Ojo Madueke.

In 2005, Madueke said at a reception: “The lives of people like Gbenga should inspire us to speak well of ourselves. Gbenga is an inner driven person, not afraid to stand alone, not afraid to be unpopular, not afraid to hold a view. A man, who is inner driven, listens to the music of his own universe, listens to the applause of the spirit inside that has etched out a horizon, which he must conquer and moving in that direction; he takes the lead and others follow…. Of such is the stuff of history; of such is the stuff of greatness.”

Olawepo-Hashim’s trajectory in political activism began while at the School of Basic Studies where he was elected as General Secretary of the Anti-Apartheid Association, Youth Solidarity on Southern Africa. In 1988, he was elected one of the leaders of the very active National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS. He was incarcerated under the Detention of Persons Decree 2 of 1984 (as amended in 1989) for his leadership role in the 1989 anti-Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, protests and his pro-democracy activities. He was consequently adopted by the Amnesty International as a Prisoner of Conscience in 1989.

A notable pro-democracy figure in the then Global Pro-Democracy resistance of the late 80s and a respected youth leadership voice from Africa, Olawepo-Hashim played a prominent role in the 13th International Festival of Youths and Students in 1989 in Pyongyang, North Korea.
In 1990, he became the national administrative secretary of the National Consultative Forum led by the indefatigable patriot and democrat extraordinaire, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Alao Aka Bashorun. The group had in its fold the technocratic group led by Alhaji Damshida, Chief Tayo Akpata and Chief Phillip Asiodu, among others.

It also had a political group led by former Zikist activists such as Chief Kola Balogun, Chief RBK Okafor, Senator Mahmud Waziri and Alhaji Tanko Yakassai. The group was the first to canvass the imperative of power devolution and the convocation of national conference as a programme of democratisation of Nigeria under military rule.

Olawepo-Hashim, a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and Masters Degree holder in Global Affairs from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom, received mentoring into partisan politics under the progressive leadership of the late Chief Solomon Lar and the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi; and, worked actively in the years of the G-34 initiative at the group’s secretariat where he was in charge of publicity.

Following Obasanjo’e election as president in 1999, he had, in the intervening transitional period, served as member/secretary, Youth and Women Development sub-committee of the General T.Y. Danjuma-led Policy Advisory Committee with the late Hajia Laila Dogonyaro as chair of the sub-committee. In 2003, Olawepo-Hashim was appointed as a member of the Political Advisory Committee to the President (in the office of the Political Adviser).

Today, Olawepo-Hashim, born of a Yoruba mother and a Hausa father from Kebbi, has launched an audacious presidential enterprise on the ANN platform with which, together with Nigerians of like-minds, he wants to galvanise national oppositional momentum against the APC and the PDP that had both failed, according to him, to provide good governance.

Ojeifo, an Abuja-based journalist, writes via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com

https://sundiatapost.com/2018/08/16/2019-presidency-who-is-this-olawepo-hashim-by-sufuyan-ojeifo/

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A presidential aspirant under the Allainace for New Nigeria (ANN), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim explode in this speech at the ANN National convention

Watch the short video




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0if8uvPcwLo

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AT least 21 cattle traders have reportedly been killed in central Nigeria in what is alleged to be reprisal killings by villagers.



The traders have been targeted on their way to or from the main Kara Market in the Plateau State over the past three months. Several other traders have sustained injuries.

Plateau is among numerous Nigerian states suffering deadly clashes between mostly Christian farmers and largely Muslim nomadic herders. Herders are accused of perpetrating most of the violence that has left thousands dead in recent years.

Foundation for Peace Professionals (FPP), a non-governmental organisation raised concern at the spate of killings in Plateau, ironically hailed as Nigeria's home of peace and tourism.



"This is even more frightening because the security agencies and those in authorities are denying the existence of such situation," FPP regional director, Alkasim Aliyu, said.

He expressed fear the Fulani might eventually respond, which could lead to another round of communal clashes in the state.

"FPP is hereby calling on those in authority to act swiftly before this matter degenerate into something uncontrollable," Aliyu warned.

The NGO has called on the state government to arrest perpetrators and compensate affected families.

It also proposed that authorities close the Kara market earlier than currently.

It operates in the late afternoon into the night.

"This may help reduce the situation since most of the targeted killings often take place at night," Aliyu said.

The military and police have been deployed to the troubled state to combat farmer-herder tensions.

https://allafrica.com/stories/201808140032.html

A Presidential Aspirant under the platform of Action Democratic Party(ADP), Mathias Tsado has promised to shut down the Aso Rock clinic if elected president and ensure that the Abuja national Hospital, which is just a stone throw from Aso Rock should serve as my family's hospital, including that of the president.

Mathias noted that, every Nigerian should have access to quality and affordable healthcare.

According to him, ''Medical tourism that cost us average of N400b shall come to an end and our doctors practicing abroad shall return home to make our ultra modern hospitals work for all''

''We shall spend N1,350,000,000 on each of six Federal medical centres to transform them and make them world class. These shall serve as our pilot scheme for our healthcare revolution plan. We shall Shall intervene in the states to overhaul six general Hospitals and six primary health care centres in the six geopolitical zones.''

''Health workers shall be treated as special citizens with a good reward system and special offers to attract thousands of Nigerian medical practitioners abroad to return home. Our Hospitals shall be amongst the best in the world in terms of structures, equipment, ambience, aesthetics, service delivery.'' He said.

https://mrrightsng..com/2018/08/presidents-aspirant-promise-to-shutdown.html

The owner of this blog is not only dishonest, he his irresponsible.

How can you copy a post from Kwara Must Change and deliberately remove any trace of the group from your news? You copied their statement, but removed their name.

How more dishonest can anyone be?

Peacecore:
Ur correct with d adjective u gave to pdp

- This was the submission made by a presidential aspirant and foremost businessman, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim - Olawepo-Hashim is a presidential aspirant under the fast growing political party, Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) Front-line presidential aspirant of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has vowed that his party will restore Nigeria's national unity if elected into office in 2019. Olawepo-Hashim, 53, an accomplished businessman, accused the ruling APC of playing politics with the country's unity. He made the statement at the first national convention of the ANN held in Abuja on Saturday, August 11 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

According to him, the ANN would be used to enthrone a new Nigeria where the malaise associated with professional politicians are not found, adding that “the party’s commitment to build a new Nigeria would not be in mere slogans.” “APC government has played politics with national unity. ANN will restore that unity. We will give everyone a sense of belonging and we will produce a president that will be a president for all Nigerians and not for some Nigerians,” he added.

Meanwhile, the former spokesman of the party, Mr. Emmanuel Dania emerged chairman of the party that prides itself as the party of technocrats. Delegates at the national convention were drawn from all the states of the federation with the of Lagos state whose delegates did not answer to the roll call of the states. In his acceptance speech, Dania said that the party came to disrupt the existing system he claimed has held Nigeria back despite its abundance potentials. He said: “We did not come to this game like any other political party but here to disrupt the system and, indeed, we will disrupt the system. We have different strategies one of which is the engagement of grassroots participants; identifying people whom we know are already doing a lot of reform work in different parts of the Nigeria. “The strategy is to bring them into clusters and those clusters would enable us to see how they can integrate and exchange information to impact their immediate societies.” Dania emerged unopposed following the withdrawal of Jay Osi a few minutes to commencement of balloting by delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. Other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) that were elected unopposed include Isa Tijanni (deputy national chairman), Thompson Isime (national organizing secretary), Ben Nwokoye (national legal adviser) and Victoria Ayo (national woman leader).

Akinloye Oyeniyi, an audience economist and legislative expert, emerged national publicity secretary of the party.

Olawepo-Hashim had earlier predicted that both the ruling APC and its main rival, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will lose the presidential seat at the forthcoming 2019 election. He made the comment while addressing select journalists in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Friday, June 8, adding that Nigerians are tired of the leading political parties in the country and are yearning for a change of the country's political status quo.

Read more: https://www.naija.ng/1185819-2019-our-party-restore-nigerias-unity-ann-presidential-aspirant-olawepo.html#1185819

A former Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, at the weekend, gave reasons why the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), would be edged out in the 2019 general elections.

Olawepo-Hashim, at the maiden convention of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), in Abuja, explained that the APC-led Federal Government had destroyed the economy, noting that even during the civil war, the country’s economy was much better than it is today.

The entrepreneur, who is gunning for the office of the president on the platform of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) maintained that, “The APC is confused. The members do not have vision.

“The people who are leading them are not educated; they cannot really say where they are coming from in terms of the understanding of modern economy.

READ ALSO: Smuggling stalling homegrown food production – FG

“Even when Nigeria had the civil war the country did not go through recession this much. So, the situation is disastrous, catastrophic and tragic,” he added.

He did not even spared the PDP as he described it as a “party of looters,” whose name reeks of corruption and bad governance.

He cited the gale of defections rocking the two dominant political parties as a total extinction from the political limelight awaiting both parties.

“The myriad of defection shows that they are not rooted. I am one of the founding members of PDP when it was a party of promise.

“I exited the party because it has become a party of looters that its members destroyed the country that nobody wants to associate with,” he said.

Newly elected chairman of ANN, Emmanuel Dania, promised to advance the political fortune of the party, however appealed with Nigerians to join hands with ANN to trounce the APC.

http://sunnewsonline.com/2019-election-why-apc-pdpll-lose-olawepo-hashime/

The Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) presidential aspirant, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said the 2019 presidential election will be a three-party race.
Olawepo-Hashim said this at the weekend in Abuja during ANN’s national convention.

The aspirant, who said the APC and the PDP had failed to justify the peoples’ confidence in them, stated that ANN would offer a credible alternative platform to Nigerians who desired real change and national revival.
He said the two parties would suffer rejection by Nigerians who had become disillusioned by their failure to provide leadership required to transform Nigeria in 2019.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari must be changed, urging people to invest their mandate in another leadership on the basis of capacity and vision and not on the basis of “anybody in 2019 but Buhari.”
Olawepo-Hashim, who was first elected into the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP in 1999, called on Nigerians to rest assured that ANN would offer a credible and solid platform for national revival, and declared that he would contest for the position of president on the ANN platform in the 2019 elections.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-presidential-election-a-3-party-race-aspirant-265516.html

Presidential aspirants under the banner of the newly registered Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN Saturday vowed to use the platform of the party to enthrone a new Nigeria where the malaise associated with professional politicians are not found.

Two of the presidential aspirants, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim and Dr. Dan Musa spoke at the first national convention of the new party where erstwhile party spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Dania emerged as the chairman of the party that prides itself as the party of technocrats. Foundation chairman, Dr. Ojay Samuels retired to the Board of Trustees as chairman said he left his position after doing his best and finding in Dania as a worthy replacement who he said will take the party to the next level.

Delegates at the national convention were drawn from all the states of the federation with the notable exception of Lagos State whose delegates did not answer to the roll call of the states. Speaking, Olawepo-Hashim, a former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said: “APC government has played politics with national unity. ANN will restore that unity. We will give everyone a sense of belonging and we will produce a president that will be a president for all Nigerians and not for some Nigerians,” Olawepo-Hashim, who may have emerged as the leading aspirant in the party said yesterday. He said that the party’s commitment to build a new Nigeria would not be in slogans. Dr. Musa, who contested the presidential ticket of the National Republican Convention, NRC in 1993 spoke in the same vein saying his quest for a new Nigeria brought him to the party. Dania in his acceptance speech yesterday said the party came to disrupt the existing system he claimed has held Nigeria back despite its abundance potentials. “We did not come to this game like any other political party; we are here to disrupt the system and indeed, we will disrupt the system. We have different strategies one of which is the engagement of grassroots participants; identifying people whom we know are already doing a lot of reform work in different parts of the Nigeria. The strategy is to bring them into clusters and those clusters would enable us to see how they can integrate and exchange information to impact their immediate societies. Dania emerged unopposed following the withdrawal of Jay Osi a few minutes to commencement of balloting by delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) that were elected unopposed include Isa Tijanni (Deputy National Chairman), Thompson Isime (National Organizing Secretary), Ben Nwokoye (National Legal Adviser) and Victoria Ayo (National Woman Leader).

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/ann-presidential-aspirants-chairman-say-they-have-come-to-disrupt-present-system/

PRESIDENTIAL aspirant on the ticket of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has declared that the party has become the party to beat in the race for votes in 2019.

Olawepo, who stated this in Abuja on the heels of the National Convention of his party held in Abuja said that the ANN was poised to lift Nigeria from the present morass.

Mr Olawepo-Hashim said that the existence of the party and its progress so far were tailored by the hand of God, adding that Nigeria as a country was on the eve of a new dawn.

According to him, the ANN has demonstrated its ability to premiere a new Nigeria through the outcome of its just-concluded national convention, where the former Interim National Chairman stepped down by endorsing the new Chairman,

“If it is the other parties, they will fight and break their head, but our National Chairman stepped down and endorsed his successor. That is the face of a new Nigeria,” he said.

He hailed the former Interim National Chairman, Dr Jay Osi Samuels for stepping down for Pastor Emmanuel Dania, adding that the conduct should be emulated by those in government.

He insisted that the ANN is the third force in the political arrangement, adding that the party will fulfil its promises to the electorate.

He said: “The GDP of Nigeria will grow seven fold. We will stop the killings in the land. We will bring Nigeria together again. The North voted for MKO Abiola and not Tofa in 1993. Benue people voted for Sir Kashim Ibrahim to go to the Northern House of Assembly. Enugu people once voted for a Kogi/Ebira person as their Mayor. Today, Nigeria is sharply divided. ANN will bring back the unity.”

Former Interim National Chairman of the party, Dr Jay Osi Samuels, who also spoke on the fortunes of the party said that the ANN would make the 2019 race a three-horse race involving the two existing parties-PDP and APC as well as the ANN.

He stated that the party has grown from the modest beginning to a formidable party, adding that it was heart-warming that out of the 21 political parties that were registered in December 2017, only ANN was making waves.

He said: “We are fresh, strong and vibrant. It is a party of ideas; a party of youths. We do not have godfathers in ANN. It is a party of equal joined and equal members. Our godfathers will be the people of Nigeria.

“We are currently in the wilderness of the APC. ANN will take Nigeria to the promised land.”

Samuels announced he was stepping down for a new consensus chairman, Pastor Emmanuel Dania at the convention.

Another presidential aspirant on the ticket of ANN, Alhaji Dan Musa said: “Nigeria is facing challenges; no good school, no work for our children. We want a new Nigeria.”

Chairman of the National Convention Committee, Terseer Tsumba, described the exercise as the beginning of a new dawn, adding ANN, which is the party of professionals, will protect the interest of the masses.

The new National Chairman, Pastor Emmanuel Dania, an information technologist, said that the ANN was a party with a vision of a new Nigeria adding that the technicians who pioneered the party have a knowledge of how to turn the nation around.

https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/159698/

Only one question for you dear.

After the rape, have you had sex with him again?

Your response will determine your solution

Explain yourself

A presidential aspirant under the Platform of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Gbenga Olawepo - Hashim has declared that the All Progressive Congress (APC) has played politics with national unity.

Watch short speech

https://www.facebook.com/GbengaHashim/videos/974196362768208/?t=46

More

Pix

First National convention of Alliance for New Nigeria going on live at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja

Gbemi Saraki and Kwara Opposition
By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat

Many have sorted my view on the defection trends that has been taking place in recent days, particularly in Kwara State. Some have called, tagged me on facebook and sent messages on whatsapp, seeking to know what my opinion is and where I belong.

For me, that is not the most pressing issue needing attention. For any freedom loving Kwaran, there is an important matter that should be addressed. This is the most important matter at the moment.

It’s the issue of Gbemi Saraki. Some people call her okere. According to one of my friend, ‘’anti Gbemi is okere tin mu koki’’. Make una no laugh ooo, olohun o ni pa wa le kun.
Gbemi is the beautiful daughter of Baba Saraki and like me, you may not be a fan of her father’s politics, but you can’t take away her alluring, exquisite, comely, pulchritudinous and statuesque look.

Kai, somebody may say, ‘’ebo yi po’’ bee ni, opo, she is that beautiful. Abi be ko?

On a serious note, I made use of all these words to describe her beauty because some people, out of cheer dislike for her father’s politics may even be blinded to her inviting outlook. They may say something like, koda ko tie fine and in their mind, they are justified. Meanwhile, she is not as beautiful as my huh.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me go straight to the point.
Now that the Kwara opposition is focused in APC, Gbemi Saraki must not be disrespected.

She must not be treated unfairly. She must not be abused, neither should her loyalty be questioned without justifiable reason.

I understand that some people might be skeptical about her. I also know that some people might be tempted to question her genuineness to the struggle, but she must be accorded all due respect, even if you suspect her.

Every human deserve some respect.

If you cannot stand your parents being abused in your present, do not try it with her. If you don’t want your parents to disrespected, don’t do same to others.

Gbemi should be given equal opportunity as others. She should be treated fairly like others. She is her own person, not her brother, neither is she her father.

The sins of her brother should not be put on her by fellow sinners; neither should that of her father.

The judgment of a sinner, against another sinner is invalid. Save your invalid judgment and focus on the task at hand. Every human is born free and equal in rights and dignity. Gbemi cannot be an exemption.

If you don’t like Gbemi, at least treat her justly. If she is aspiring, treat her fairly. Let the delegates or stakeholders or members make their choices, without abusing anyone.

I repeat, do not push Gbemi out of the opposition against her will and don’t be hostile. 2015 should not repeat itself. Learn respect. Learn diplomacy.

Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
Kwara Must Change

https://mrrightsng..com/2018/08/gbemi-saraki-and-kwara-opposition.html

Ahead of the 2019 general election, 15 young presidential aspirants in Nigeria have agreed to work together to present a credible alternative for the youths.

The new breed politicians issued a communiqué to announce their decision.

Full statement

VISIONARY PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS COMING TOGETHER [PACT]

TOWARDS THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS
“ELECTION AS REVOLUTION" BEING TEXT OF COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AFTER A CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF UNDERSIGNED PRESIDENTIAL
ASPIRANTS ON TUESDAY 31ST JULY 2018.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

It is no longer debatable that our country Nigeria has been brought to her
knees, and is tottering on the brink of collapse.

In no more than the life of a generation, our nation and people are witnessing
the catastrophic failure of governance and the near collapse of virtually all our
national institutions; such that we have now become the country with the
largest concentration of poor people in the world.
The ties that bind us together are today under such enormous pressures, that
we can say without any doubt that never in our history have we been
confronted by such a scale and scope of existential crises.
We are very clear in our minds and share the collective conviction, that our
present woes, in their history is as a result of collective failure of leadership by
those who have been in the leadership of our country for decades, and the
establishment that have institutionalised support in their self-interest and
visionless leadership.
We share the grievance and anger of our people, as well as their yearnings
and aspirations for a new Nigeria different from the one bequeathed on us by
our leaders from independence in 1960 till date 31st July, 2018.
We are categorical about those who should accept responsibility for our
failures as a nation 1960-2018; and as visionary presidential aspirants coming
together under PACT, we are united in our convictions, that our national
rebirth can be achieved through collective engagements to install a new
political order 2019 by taking up leadership responsibilities in the overall
common good.
We are conscious of the fact that, the ploy, by the establishment form new
coalitions with the antics of defection from party to party, is a ploy calculated
at ensuring that power does not slip out off their hands.
We denounce such coalition and defection forming pranks and antics as
calculated attempts to deceive the mass of our people.
We call on the mass of our people, who are victims of their misrule, not to

Breaking News: Sowore, Mathias, 13 other young presidential aspirants agree to work together


https://mrrightsng..com/2018/08/breaking-news-sowore-mathis13-other.html?m=1

Lol

Sex has no religion

If you are a club person, the club people will lead you into sex. Several guys will approach you and several girls will tempt you.

If you are a church person, the church people will lead you into sex. Several pastors will approach you, several sisters will tempt you.

If you are a mosque person, the mosque people will lead you into sex. Several clerics will approach you, several sisters will tempt you.

Whether you are in the club or in the house of God, sex will happen.

Whether you are with runs boys or holy brothers, sex will happen.

Whether you cover cover your body or expose it, sex will happen.

Provided men and women fraternize and flock together, sex will happen.

Whether its Nasfat, Qoreeb, mss or other asalatu, sex will happen.

Even if it's the church,fellowship, mass etc, sex will always happen.

What about the university and other higher institutions? Your guess is as good as mine.

Note please, Not in all situations though. There are few exceptions. But in most cases, sex will always happen.

The only way to limit such is to reduce flocking with opposite sex. That's the only remedy.

Sex has no religion

If you are a club person, the club people will lead you into sex. Several guys will approach you and several girls will tempt you.

If you are a church person, the church people will lead you into sex. Several pastors will approach you, several sisters will tempt you.

If you are a mosque person, the mosque people will lead you into sex. Several clerics will approach you, several sisters will tempt you.

Whether you are in the club or in the house of God, sex will happen.

Whether you are with runs boys or holy brothers, sex will happen.

Whether you cover cover your body or expose it, sex will happen.

Provided men and women fraternize and flock together, sex will happen.

Whether its Nasfat, Qoreeb, mss or other asalatu, sex will happen.

Even if it's the church,fellowship, mass etc, sex will always happen.

What about the university and other higher institutions? Your guess is as good as mine.

Note please, Not in all situations though. There are few exceptions. But in most cases, sex will always happen.

The only way to limit such is to reduce flocking with opposite sex. That's the only remedy.

That's not among the popular site