Political elites’ crude self-interest threat to 2023 election

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has warned that the self-interest of key political stakeholders is a threat to the 2023 general election.

The former presidential candidate said this was evident in the way primaries of the major parties were conducted. He lamented that the purchase of party delegates like onions and tomatoes, ethnic and religious sentiments were responsible for some choices made by parties.

Olawepo-Hashim, who said these in a statement by his media office on Wednesday, said the two major parties, the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had approached the election based on narrow self-interests rather than national interest, adding that the third major candidate lacks the depth in political economy, national security and international relations to confront the myriad of issues facing Nigeria.

He said this was the reason there was no cohesion in their campaigns. He stated that each presidential candidate leads a faction while another is against the flagbearer. He said examples were the G-5 Governors of the PDP who have refused to support Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC, who has alleged that some forces in the presidential villa are working against his success at the polls.

Olawepo-Hashim said Nigerians driven by public good would be looking for candidates who fit their definition of something good and not necessarily minding their political parties.

He added that Nigeria would be lucky to have a President that would form a government of national unity and bring the nation together.