The South West Coordinator of the Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM), Alhaji Abass Olaniyi, has faulted Reno Omokri’s recent appeal for the South West and the North to back President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, insisting that the region will not “reward monumental failure with another mandate.”
Omokri, in a widely circulated statement, had likened his call for support to the North’s backing of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, despite his poor performance. He also claimed that Tinubu had expanded Nigeria’s GDP and launched infrastructure projects in the North.
Reacting , Olaniyi described Omokri’s remarks as political deception and emotional blackmail, stressing that governance is about competence and performance, not ethnic reciprocity.
“Our people are too politically conscious to reward hunger, poverty, and economic collapse with fresh endorsement,” he declared.
Olaniyi argued that the APC-led government’s economic record was catastrophic, noting that Nigeria’s GDP, which stood at over $570 billion in 2014, had shrunk to less than $300 billion — a contraction of nearly 50 percent. He added that soaring inflation, unemployment, and poverty had pushed the country beyond recession into what he described as “economic depression.”
He dismissed Tinubu’s claims of GDP growth as “a mirage created by currency devaluation that leaves Nigerians poorer than ever,” adding: “Nigerians don’t eat GDP statistics; they eat food, and under Tinubu food is unaffordable.”
Positioning Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the credible alternative for the South West, Olaniyi described him as a leader with the vision, global exposure, and economic acumen to unite both the North and South on the basis of fairness and competence.
“The South West cannot tie its destiny to a sinking ship. Across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti, the conversation is already tilting towards Gbenga Hashim. He represents the hope and new beginning that Nigeria desperately needs,” he stated.
He further urged Northern leaders to resist divisive appeals and align with genuine progressive forces committed to rescuing Nigeria from years of misrule.
“2027 is a defining year. Nigerians must rise above deception and sentiment to embrace competent leadership. The South West is ready to lead that change, and Gbenga Hashim is the rallying point,” Olaniyi concluded.
