Popular Ibadan-based broadcaster and Accord Party governorship candidate in Oyo State, Oriyomi Hamzat, has claimed that he was among those who brought Governor Seyi Makinde into the political race that eventually produced him as governor of the state.
Hamzat also said that he deserved credit for all the successes that Makinde achieved as a governor of the state in his eight years tenure.
He made the claims while addressing members of the Accord Party in Ibadan on Saturday, as the once-close relationship between him and Makinde continues to deteriorate over their divergent political interests ahead of the 2027 general election.
The broadcaster, who is popularly known for his interventionist night programme, “Kokoro Alate”, where members of the public discuss personal challenges and seek solutions, said he supported Makinde’s governorship bid because he believed the latter would work for the people of Oyo State.
He, however, said he was now being denied credit for the achievements of the administration he helped to bring to power.
“Seyi Makinde has reformed Oyo. Hence, we are not following you. Who brought Seyi Makinde? I was the one. I was one of those that brought him and supported him as governor.
“All those good things, why don’t you give me the credit? Why is it that it is the unpleasant side that people are using to attack me?
“Those opposition parties now, when they want to speak, they will claim that he did wonderful things, why not credit me for those ones too?” he asked.
Hamzat stressed that his relationship with Makinde was never transactional, saying he only wanted the people to recognise that the person he introduced to them was performing.
“People have called me an ungrateful person. How? Is it not the same Oriyomi that came to you to campaign for him (Makinde), the belief you have in me showed in the result of the election.
“I’m not following government because of contracts, I had an agreement with the government that I support that they will take care of the masses. No transactional relationship whatsoever. I just want the people to applaud me that the person I introduced to them is performing well,” he said.
The latest comments come against the backdrop of the worsening political differences between Hamzat and Makinde, who were previously regarded as close political allies.
Makinde, who is serving his second term as Oyo governor, has now moved to the Allied Peoples Movement to pursue his presidential ambition in the 2027 election.
The governor was formally presented as the APM presidential candidate in May 2026.
As part of his political succession plan in Oyo, Makinde has also openly backed former Commissioner for Finance during late Abiola Ajimobi’s administration, Bimbo Adekanmbi, as his preferred successor for the 2027 governorship election.
The APM subsequently adopted Adekanmbi as its consensus governorship candidate, with Makinde describing the arrangement as part of the continuation of his administration’s “Omituntun” agenda.
Hamzat, meanwhile, has chosen a different political path and is seeking to become the next governor of Oyo State on the platform of the Accord Party.
He formally declared his governorship ambition in January and subsequently picked the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms.
The political disagreement has coincided with a series of controversies involving the broadcaster and the state government.
In June, the Oyo State Police Command raided a residence linked to Surajudeen Babatunde Adio, popularly known as “Suri Ilupeju,” in the Gbeku area of Olodo, Ibadan, during an intelligence-led operation.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation, while the police said firearms, ammunition, a locally made bulletproof vest, suspected charms and other items were recovered. Suri, described by the police as a former member of the Park Management System, was said to be at large.
The development subsequently generated political controversy, with some persons attempting to link Suri to Hamzat.
Hamzat denied the allegation, describing it as a smear campaign targeted at his political ambition.
He said he had never sponsored, encouraged, shielded or supported anybody involved in criminal activities, and urged security agencies to conduct their investigations without dragging innocent persons into the matter.
The broadcaster’s emergence as an Accord governorship candidate has further altered the political equation in Oyo, particularly as he now seeks to challenge the succession arrangement being promoted by Makinde.
Hamzat also spoke on the Ibadan Circular Road and the 1,000-metre corridor project, promising that if elected governor, he would ensure that the road is opened for public use regardless of the stage of construction it has reached.
He, however, said work on the project would not continue until adequate compensation had been paid to residents and other stakeholders affected by the development.
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