Why Olawepo Hashim was endorsed for President by middle belt region



PEOPLE’S Trust (PT) presidential candidate, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim recently move closer to achieving his aspiration to become president of Nigeria with the Middle Belt Forum adopting him as its candidate for the February 16 election.

Leaders of the forum, at a meeting in Abuja, ratified the choice of Olawepo-Hashim, capping a process that started some six months earlier.

The forum’s leader, former Plateau State Military Governor Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (retd), who announced the news to a gathering of its elders in Abuja, said the choice of Olawepo-Hashim has been ratified by the forum.

The forum has presence in 12 of 19 Northern states, its leaders said.

The leaders also added that the new development could alter the calculations ahead of the 2019 election.

Explaining why Olawepo Hashim was adopted by the middle belt region, he said, the journey for the ratification of a common Middle Belt candidate started, when the Southern leaders asked the Middle Belt to produce a common candidate that would be supported for the Presidency by the Southern and Middle Belt Forum.

He said the forum identified many aspirants from the Middle Belt and later shortlisted three of them, who met with the leaders at the home of former Kwara State Governor Chief Cornelius Adebayo in Lagos.

Suleiman said the forum had assured the three shortlisted candidates that a final choice would be made and that all of them must be ready to work together.

He also stated that the Middle Belt would continue to network with Southern leaders on the adoption of the common candidate.

“What we are doing  here today is to tell you that the Middle Belt has completed the exercise and we have settled for a candidate and that candidate is you (Olawepo-Hashim),” the retired Air Force officer and former Chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) said.

In announcing the decision, Suleiman recalled that the process of endorsing a candidate started last year when the forum invited three presidential candidates from the Middle Belt for screening.

He said although the forum earlier gave the three contestants the option of meeting and coming up with a consensus candidate to be supported, they returned and asked the forum to take the decision for them and they would support whoever emerged.

He said, “Recall that we invited the three of you from the Middle Belt to listen to you.

Other leaders of the Middle Belt present at the brief gathering included the President of Middle Belt Forum Dr. Pogu Bitrus, Chief Adebayo, former Rivers State Military Governor Maj.-Gen. Zamani Lekwot (retd), former Niger State Deputy Governor Nuhu Zagbayi, retired DIG Porter Dabup and members of the executive committee of the Middle Belt Forum.

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