Former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has called on Nigerians to rise above political, ethnic, and religious divisions to rescue the nation from what he described as the disastrous leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement personally signed on Monday, Olawepo-Hashim accused the ruling party of wrecking Nigeria’s economy, worsening poverty, and deepening national disunity. He said the APC-led government had driven the nation into unprecedented debt, increased hardship, and presided over rising insecurity that has left Nigeria “bleeding profusely.”
According to him, the administration’s policies have caused massive economic contraction and eroded Nigeria’s global standing.
> “Nigerians must come together to defeat the evil that the APC represents, regardless of political affiliations, ethnicity, or religion,” he said. “The reckless policies that have fueled poverty, inflation, and economic decline affect all Nigerians equally—whether Christian, Muslim, or traditionalist.”
Olawepo-Hashim maintained that the APC’s ten years in power have “completely wrecked” the national economy, claiming that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has fallen drastically from $574 billion in 2014 to less than $259 billion.
> “The APC’s decade of misguided economic decisions has ruined our economy. They have shrunk our GDP from $574 billion in 2014 to under $259 billion today—an economic disaster without precedent,” he stated.
He further accused the government of fiscal recklessness, noting that Nigeria’s debt profile has skyrocketed by over 1,500 percent within ten years.
> “Our national debt has ballooned from N12 trillion at the end of 2014 to nearly N198 trillion now. That’s not just bad governance—it’s economic vandalism,” he said.
On insecurity, Olawepo-Hashim expressed deep concern over the worsening state of safety across the country. He noted that kidnapping, terrorism, and banditry have crippled agriculture, discouraged investment, and worsened hunger and unemployment.
> “At the security front, the nation is bleeding. From kidnapping to terrorism, no part of Nigeria is safe. We cannot end insecurity until we vote the APC out of power,” he warned.
The former presidential candidate emphasized that poverty and hunger affect everyone regardless of background.
> “Hunger has no tribe. Poverty has no religion. The evil is one—and so must our response be,” he declared.
He also urged opposition leaders to unite around common goals such as electoral reforms, transparency, and economic recovery.
> “To my colleagues in the opposition, I say: we don’t all need to belong to one party, but we must stand together around shared programmes for national renewal,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Olawepo-Hashim expressed confidence that Nigerians
