As the choice of the APC running mate continue to generate ripples, a former presidential aspirant and a Chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has counselled opinion moulders not to allow religion to further divide the already divided country.
In a statement from his media office in Abuja on Tuesday, July 13th, 2022, Olawepo-Hashim explained that the political aspiration of anybody is not worth the disruption of the unity and peace of Nigeria.
According to him; “While we all have the right to express ourselves, we should avoid incendiary comments that can further pose huge challenge to our national integration objectives”.
“Let us quietly make our decisions and express such decisions with our votes”.
The former Presidential candidate further added that political parties who are insensitive to our national concerns and take some segments of the population for granted must be ready to be punished by the electorates at the polls.
“That is democracy there is no need for quarrel,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim maintained that every party must work hard towards the general election to ensure that they are in good reckoning with the electorate at the polls, adding that; “those who have bought delegates must know they will have an uphill task buying estimated 40 million potential voters who may turn out at the next election.”
According to INEC, as of 2019, there were 84 million registered voters, but as at Monday 27th June 2022, the ongoing registration figures were as follows: fresh Registrants: 10,487,972; Completed Registration: 8,631,696; Male: 4,292,690; Female: 4,339,006; PWDs: 67,171 and Youths: 6,081,456.
He added that; “anyone who loves his or her party, and loves Nigeria must ensure that their parties do the right things.”
“Buying up delegates at the party conventions is the cheapest thing to do, the general election is a different ball game. National Security is at stake, not just anything will pass” he said.
He also called on the President to live up to his promise that the next election will be free and fair, adding that “it is time for our elections to be the true measurement of the will of our people, that is the only way to make democracy deliver result!”
“All of us must come to terms with the fact that this is going to be electronic transmission of results from the polling unit and scope for manipulation is limited,” he noted
