I pity Tinubu but more concerned for Nigeria — OLAWEPO-Hashim

President Bola Tinubu's recent public remarks have prompted deep concern from Accord Party presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who believes the president may require assistance.

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I listened to the recording over and over again. That was not the Bola Tinubu I knew between 2018 and 2021, I left deeply concerned. I am not making a medical diagnosis, but the President’s public communication gives me the impression that he may require genuine help.

Olawepo-Hashim, also the Co-Chairman of the Movement for Democratic Renewal, listened repeatedly to recordings of Tinubu's statements during a meeting with Catholic Bishops. He expressed sadness, noting the president's public communication seemed markedly different from the man he knew between 2018 and 2021. "I am not making a medical diagnosis, but the President’s public communication gives me the impression that he may require genuine help," Olawepo-Hashim stated.

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Unlike many Nigerians who are angry with him, I genuinely feel pity for President Tinubu. My greatest worry is that those around him appear more interested in securing another election than in giving him the attention that he deserves.

He voiced pity for President Tinubu, suggesting that those around him are more focused on securing another election than on providing the attention the president deserves. "If they truly love him, they should put his comportment, wellbeing and the national interest above politics," he urged.

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If they truly love him, they should put his comportment, wellbeing and the national interest above politics.

Beyond concerns for the president's well-being, Olawepo-Hashim issued a stern warning against using any challenges Tinubu might face as an excuse to undermine Nigeria's democracy. He emphasized that Nigeria must not revert to the "dark era" of winning elections "by every means necessary." Recalling Nigeria's 2015 democratic benchmark, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan peacefully transferred power to the opposition, Olawepo-Hashim declared that the 2027 general election must meet and surpass that standard of credibility. "Any election that falls short of the 2015 democratic standard will not be acceptable to the Nigerian people or to Nigeria’s friends across the world," he asserted.

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While we express concern over the President’s recent public communication, let us also make one thing unmistakably clear, Nigeria must never return to the dark era when elections were won by every means necessary.