2019: Gbenga Olawepo Emerges Third Force Presidential Candidate

Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has been declared the winner of the third force presidential candidate race to contest 2019 elections.

Olawepo-Hashim is ‘third force’ presidential candidate

Business mogul and frontline presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has consolidated his presidential bid with his emergence… https://t.co/1nIRXAPmDd

— Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim (@GoHashim2019) October 26, 2018

Naija News learnt that Mr Hashim is to fly the presidential flag of the Chief Olisa Agbakoba inspired Peoples Trust, PT, in the 2019 general elections. It was also disclosed, yesterday, that he would also be the joint presidential candidate of ten political parties for the February 2019 presidential election.

Reliable sources have also confirmed that more parties are likely to fuss into the growing alliance, following a new zeal to join forces against the duo of President Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in what will give a lie to the impression that next year’s election is a two horse race.

2019 Election Will Not Be A Bet Between Two Devils. We are the third Force. #Gohashim2019 #NigeriaGOHBetter pic.twitter.com/sJKC4vgRxs

— Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim (@GoHashim2019) October 24, 2018

The Middle-Belt Forum had earlier shortlisted Olawepo-Hashim among four of its prominent indigenes as likely presidential candidates to represent the region in next year’s presidential poll

Others who had made the list were a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia; and former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah Jang, amongst a dozen candidates that went through the rigorous screening.

Chaired by Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, the panel reportedly shortlisted Olawepo-Hashim, the youngest amongst the four, for his deep knowledge of the economy arising from his successful business endeavours, spanning the breadth of oil and gas , power, communications and marketing.

The first elected National Deputy Publicity Secretary of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Olawepo-Hashim, the youngest of the aspirants screened, is seen as a potential force from the Middle-Belt region, good enough to attract first-time voters on the national voter register numbering over fifteen million apart from potential voters from the region and elsewhere.

Aside Commodore Dan Suleiman, who is former military administrator and one- time Nigerian envoy to Russia, other personalities on the then screening panel included former Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Zamani Lekwot, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi, former Governor of old Gongola State, Mr. Wilberforce Juta, former Governor of old Kwara State, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Mr. Sam Ada Maagbe and Chief John Odakun.