Olawepo-Hashim: Only Commitment to Ideology, Principle ‘ll Bring Sanity to Politics

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A former presidential aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has disclosed that the present brand of politics in the country is being driven by personal ambition and self-interests.

Olawepo-Hashim, however, said this was the reason why politics is currently meaningless in Nigeria.

Conversing with journalists in Ilorin yesterday on the state of the nation, Olawepo-Hashim explained  that only commitment to ideology and principle can bring the desired sanity and stability to our political landscape since the same brand of selfish politics has been the reason “why it seems like Nigeria’s past seems more meaningful than its present.”

According to him, “If we want rapid development as we saw in the first  Republic when Nigeria was a leading light among third world countries, our leadership recruitment must be based on the ideals that  politicians stand for; their personal records, rather than their war chests.”

The APC chieftain added that “nonsense and meaningless talks such as ‘it is my turn’, and religious bigotry will only continue to divide the country and plunge the country to violence.

“As it is now, it appears we have already bungled the current process and before the next election cycle, we need to fix the polity.

“The party system where principle and ideology reign must be revived and restored, while party supremacy must return.

“Party organisations and structures must revolve around the people, not around the merchants and not around an emperor and little emperors in different states.”

Also of great importance, according to him, is voters’ education.

He maintained that “the voters must be educated and oriented to see themselves as the ultimate deciders in the electoral process.

“They must be sufficiently enlightened to see themselves as beautiful brides, and not as commodities of trade on the day of election.

“Like in the first and second republic, the voters must be confident enough to reject the deceit of political, ethnic and religious bigots who parade the political landscapes with foul language and filthy lucre.”

Olawepo-Hashim averred that: “Nigeria is the glory of Africa and the Black race. It must be rescued to play its destined role.”