Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim: I don’t see how postponement of election will benefit President Buhari

Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, presidential candidate of the People’s Trust (PT), one of the political parties contesting the postponed presidential elections, has said it is unfair to link President Muhammadu Buhari with the postponement of the 2019 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Olawepo-Hashim, who condemned the hasty decision by INEC without consultations with the critical stakeholders said he did not see how the postponement will benefit President Buhari who is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

While calling for a free, fair and violence-free elections, Olawepo-Hashim said he doubts if the electoral umpire can get things right in just one week especially given the fact that the 2015 general elections was postponed by six weeks.

“On the issue of postponement, this is not the first time we are seeing this. We saw it under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. We saw it under Goodluck Jonathan.

“Even the election that produced President Buhari was postponed by six weeks but Jonathan did not benefit from that postponement. I did not see how the postponement will benefit the incumbent President.

“But what is important is that INEC must not do things hastily. If they postpone for six weeks under Jonathan, why should it be one week now? Are they saying they would have gotten everything right by next week?”

“So, whatever they have not done right now, can they to do it in one week? They need to do things properly so that we can have a credible election. So, I don’t believe President Buhari has anything to do with this.

“My belief is that INEC leadership should not put themselves under unnecessary pressure. They should do their job properly and let’s have a credible election,” he said.

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