Accord Party Presidential Candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, Accuses Tinubu of Waging War Against Osun

Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of engaging in "a war against the people" of Osun State. Olawepo-Hashim asserted that recent actions by the federal government have crossed the line from political maneuvering into "punitive state oppression" as the governorship election approaches.

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This is not politics. It is the punitive conduct of a federal colonial state treating the people of Osun as vassals.

In a statement issued over the weekend, Olawepo-Hashim, who also co-chairs the Movement for Democratic Renewal (MDR), alleged a coordinated effort to undermine democracy and punish Osun residents for political reasons. These actions reportedly include withholding local government allocations, freezing state government accounts, and providing security for All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters involved in attacks against opposition members.

While acknowledging reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had lifted restrictions on the state's accounts following the president's directive, Olawepo-Hashim maintained that such measures should never have been imposed. He characterized these actions as an abuse of federal power, inconsistent with constitutional democracy, and described them as the "punitive conduct of a federal colonial state treating the people of Osun as vassals."

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However this ends, all state officials involved in this political brigandage must note that they will be held individually accountable for their actions.

Olawepo-Hashim issued a stern warning to public officials implicated in implementing these measures, stating they would face individual accountability regardless of the political dispute's outcome. He urged Nigerians and democratic institutions to resist the "weaponisation of state power," emphasizing that democracy cannot thrive when federal institutions are used as political weapons against elected state governments.

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The world is watching.

With the Osun State governorship election nearing, Olawepo-Hashim called on President Tinubu to remove any remaining obstacles to a free, peaceful, and credible poll. He urged the president to instruct all security agencies and federal officials to remain neutral and allow Osun residents to vote without intimidation, noting that "the world is watching." He concluded by encouraging the people of Osun to reject intimidation and participate peacefully in the August 15, 2026 governorship election, urging them to "Stand your ground. Refuse to be cowed into submission."

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Stand your ground. Refuse to be cowed into submission. We are still a democracy and a republic. Come out peacefully