It’ll be counter-productive to work against Tinubu – Oriyomi Hamzat

It’ll be counter-productive to work against Tinubu – Oriyomi Hamzat

The Oyo State governorship candidate of the Accord party, Oriyomi Hamzat, has said it would be counterproductive for him to work against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, insisting that he would abide by his party’s position on the presidential contest.

Hamzat said Accord had adopted Tinubu as its presidential candidate, adding that he would not engage in activities capable of undermining the party’s decision.

The governorship candidate spoke with journalists on Saturday on the sidelines of the University of Ibadan’s 2026 convocation and 78th Foundation Day ceremony, where he graduated with a Master’s degree in Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies.

His comments followed a meeting with former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, who had visited him in Ibadan to seek his support and that of Accord members for Tinubu’s re-election.

Hamzat, an Ibadan-based radio presenter and Chief Executive Officer of 88.7 Agidigbo FM, said his support for the President was informed by party loyalty.

“Our party, Accord, does not have a presidential candidate. So, the party picked Bola Tinubu to be our presidential candidate that the party will work with. I cannot be anti-party. I have to follow the guidelines of my party. We will work for Tinubu,” he said.

He added that opposing Tinubu while Accord had no alternative presidential candidate would undermine his own political ambition.

“Secondly, I’m a governorship candidate struggling to make my way out of the big politicians that I’m facing. So, for me to come out and say I’m working against Tinubu, when we don’t have another candidate, it’s counter-productive,” he said.

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On his governorship ambition, Hamzat ruled out stepping down for any aspirant, saying he was determined to contest the 2027 election.

“I’m contesting. I’m not desperate to be in a position, but I’m determined to serve my people. I will never step down for anyone,” he declared.

He promised to unveil a people-centred manifesto that would prioritise public welfare and grassroots development, describing it as a programme designed around the needs and aspirations of residents.

“The best thing that will happen to Oyo is to have Oriyomi Hamzat as its next governor. I will soon unveil my manifesto, and my manifesto will be one of its kind because it is a people-centric manifesto. It is centred on the people,” he said.

The Accord candidate also pledged to establish mediation centres across the state’s 33 local government areas if elected, explaining that the initiative would provide platforms for resolving disputes at the community level before they escalated into security challenges.

“Our government will create a mediation centre throughout the 33 local governments of the state before the problem boomerangs. It could be settled within the micro-settings of our society,” he said.

Hamzat explained that his decision to pursue a Master’s degree was aimed at complementing his practical experience in traditional dispute resolution with formal academic knowledge.

He said he had previously relied on indigenous knowledge and the methods used by traditional leaders to settle disputes but discovered, during his studies at the University of Ibadan, the need to strengthen his understanding of conflict resolution.

“Before now, I had been using native intelligence and the experience of our forefathers, how they settle disputes. When I got to the University of Ibadan to get a certificate to back me up, I realised there were so many areas that I needed to work on,” he said.