The presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has launched a blistering attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing the Federal Government of waging what he described as a “war against the people” of Osun State ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
Olawepo-Hashim, who is also Co-Chairman of the Movement for Democratic Renewal (MDR), made the allegations in a strongly worded statement issued personally over the weekend, warning that recent actions allegedly taken by federal authorities against the Osun State Government had gone beyond ordinary political competition.
The Accord Party presidential candidate alleged that the Federal Government had crossed the boundary between legitimate political contest and what he described as “punitive state oppression,” accusing federal institutions of being deployed in a manner capable of undermining the democratic process in Osun State.
At the centre of his criticism were allegations concerning the withholding of local government allocations due to the state, the freezing of accounts belonging to the Osun State Government and the alleged provision of security protection for APC supporters accused of attacking opposition members.
Olawepo-Hashim argued that the combination of these developments suggested a disturbing pattern of federal intervention in the political affairs of the state, particularly at a time when political parties and candidates are mobilising voters ahead of the governorship election.
According to the Accord presidential candidate, the people of Osun State should not be made to bear the consequences of political disagreements between federal and state authorities.
He maintained that public resources and constitutional institutions must never be turned into instruments of political punishment, regardless of the party controlling the Federal Government or the political affiliation of the state administration.
Although Olawepo-Hashim acknowledged reports that restrictions placed on some Osun State Government accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had subsequently been lifted following President Tinubu’s directive, he insisted that the alleged restrictions should never have been imposed in the first place.
He described the episode as an abuse of federal authority and warned that allowing such actions to become normal in Nigeria’s democracy could have dangerous consequences for the country’s political system.
“This is not politics. It is the punitive conduct of a federal colonial state treating the people of Osun as vassals,” Olawepo-Hashim declared.
The Accord Party presidential candidate further argued that democracy could not survive in an environment where federal institutions were allegedly deployed as political weapons against elected state governments.
He insisted that the ultimate sovereignty in a democracy belongs to the people, stressing that the political choices of Osun voters must not be dictated through administrative pressure, financial restrictions, security intimidation or the manipulation of government institutions.
Olawepo-Hashim also issued a stern warning to public officials whom he alleged were involved in implementing the measures, declaring that political office would not permanently shield individuals from accountability.
“However this ends, all state officials involved in this political brigandage must note that they will be held individually accountable for their actions,” he warned.
The presidential candidate urged Nigerians, civil society organisations and democratic institutions to resist what he described as the weaponisation of state power for partisan political purposes.
He argued that the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy would be severely damaged if federal institutions were perceived as instruments for intimidating political opponents or influencing the choices of voters.
With the Osun governorship election scheduled for August 15, Olawepo-Hashim called on President Tinubu to immediately intervene and remove what he described as every remaining obstacle to a free, peaceful and credible election.
“It is not too late to apply the brakes. President Tinubu should immediately instruct all security agencies and federal officials to remain neutral and allow the people of Osun to make their choices in an atmosphere devoid of intimidation. The world is watching,” he said.
He particularly urged security agencies to maintain neutrality before, during and after the election, warning that voters must be allowed to participate in the democratic process without fear.
The Accord presidential candidate also called on the people of Osun State not to surrender their constitutional rights because of political tension or alleged intimidation.
“Stand your ground. Refuse to be cowed into submission. We are still a democracy and a Republic. Come out peacefully and exercise your constitutional right to vote,” he urged.
His intervention has added another layer to an increasingly charged political atmosphere in Osun State, where the August 15 governorship election has attracted heightened attention from political parties, civil society groups and national political actors.
Olawepo-Hashim’s allegations, however, remain claims made by the Accord Party presidential candidate and have not, in themselves, established wrongdoing by President Tinubu or the Federal Government.
The controversy nevertheless places renewed focus on the conduct of federal institutions in the period leading to the election and on the broader question of whether political competition in Nigeria can take place without the use, or perceived use, of government institutions to gain political advantage.
As Osun voters prepare to choose their next governor, Olawepo-Hashim’s warning has effectively turned the election into more than a contest for political control of the state, framing it as a test of the strength, independence and credibility of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.