…Urges Unity Ahead of Saturday’s Poll
Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has called on party leaders, candidates and supporters across Osun State to close ranks and work together to strengthen the party ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Hashim made the appeal on Thursday, August 13, during a meeting with Accord stakeholders drawn from the state’s 31 local government areas in Osogbo.
Represented at the meeting by the National Coordinator of the Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) and South-West Coordinator, Alhaji Abass Olaniyi, Hashim described Accord as “one family” and urged members to put their differences aside as they prepare for the election.
“Accord is one family. We may have disagreements, but our shared commitment to the party and to democratic renewal must remain stronger than our differences.”
He urged party leaders across the state to activate their grassroots structures and ensure that Accord maintains a strong presence across wards and polling units.
According to Hashim, the immediate priority should be preserving the party’s organisational structure, strengthening unity and encouraging supporters to participate peacefully and confidently in the electoral process.
He also appealed to members not to lose faith in the party, arguing that Accord’s future should be driven by the commitment of its members and the strength of its democratic structures.
Hashim cautioned party supporters against allowing political disagreements to weaken Accord’s grassroots network, stressing that members must remain disciplined and focused as the election approaches.
“This is the time to unite. This is the time to mobilise. This is the time to demonstrate that Accord is bigger than any individual. We are one family, and we must act as one family,” he said.
The Accord presidential candidate also urged supporters to resist provocation and intimidation, insisting that political pressure should be met with peaceful mobilisation rather than violence.
“Nobody should be intimidated. Nobody should be provoked into violence. Our strength is our organisation, our people and our commitment to democracy,” Hashim said.
He subsequently called on party leaders, candidates and supporters across Osun to turn out peacefully on Saturday, August 15, and participate fully in the electoral process.
“Let us close ranks, mobilise our people and protect the Accord family. Whatever our differences may have been, today we have one responsibility, which is to deliver Accord at the poll on August 15,” he added.
The meeting also featured a show of support for the Hashim political movement, with several participants wearing face caps bearing the inscription “Gbenga Hashim for Imole.”
Among those present were Hon. Wumi Ajibade Fadaka from Ife East, Hon. Adewuyi Adediji from Egbedore Local Government, Hon. Mrs. Adelakun Khadijah from Ede South and Elder Ponle, alongside other party stakeholders and supporters.
The mobilisation comes as political parties make their final preparations for the August 15 Osun governorship election, with grassroots mobilisation, voter participation and peaceful conduct taking centre stage.
For Accord, Hashim’s message was clear: internal differences must not undermine the party’s structures or its participation in the election.
With only two days to the poll, the party is expected to continue its grassroots mobilisation across wards and polling units as supporters prepare for Saturday’s voting.
