The declaration by ace broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat to run for Oyo State governorship under the Accord Party has stirred a familiar yet newly packaged ripple through the state’s political waters. Observers focusing solely on party structures and financial war chests miss the deeper historical current Hamzat aims to tap into: Oyo’s enduring legacy of populist politics. To understand his candidacy, one must look not just to the future, but to a lineage that extends from the “Ayes” of ADISA MEREDITH Akiloye to the “AMALA politics” of Lamidi Adedibu.
During the Second Republic, Chief Adisa Akinloye Akiloye, the charismatic leader of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the old Oyo State, perfected a politics of mass mobilisation. His famous “Aye!” chants were more than slogans; they were tools for forging a direct, emotional bond with the electorate, bypassing technocratic language for visceral connection. His strength was rooted not just in behind-the-scenes deals but in his ability to position himself as the people’s champion on the stage.
This baton was passed, and its methodology amplified, by Chief Lamidi Adedibu. The “Oosa of Molete” transformed populism into a grassroots political machine. His compound became the state’s unofficial power hub, dispensing patronage, settling disputes, and shaping political fortunes based on a direct, often transactional, relationship with the people. As documented in studies such as “Godfatherism and the Politics of Patronage in Nigeria” (Albert, 2005), Adedibu’s model demonstrated that in Oyo, control over the streets was a potent counterbalance to official titles. His style was raw, founded on immediate material needs and a formidable, personal loyalty network.
Now enters, Oriyomi Hamzat into the Oyo State political Terrain. In the digital age, he exemplifies the 21st-century evolution of this tradition. His populism is not orchestrated from a Molete compound but broadcast from a radio studio and social media platforms. Through his “Agidigbo” radio programme and active social media presence, Hamzat has built a formidable base by engaging directly with public grievances. He specialises in real-time, dramatic interventions, tracking down kidnapped victims with his team, as seen in the 2022 Mojoyinla case, or publicly challenging institutions over issues like the Akinyele electrocution incident. His currency is not bags of rice or cash (though his philanthropy is noted), but tangible empathy and media-driven advocacy. A 2023 report by Dataphyte on social influence in Nigerian politics highlighted how figures like Hamzat leverage digital tools to create parallel platforms of credibility and mass appeal, circumventing traditional political gatekeepers.
However, despite this powerful alignment with Oyo’s political DNA and his significant following, evidenced by consistent social media traction and street name recognition, my stark arithmetic of Nigerian politics suggests Hamzat will not win the 2027 gubernatorial election. The structural heft of the PDP and APC, with their deep incumbency advantages, national financial networks, and entrenched patronage systems, presents an almost insurmountable barrier for a party like the Accord in a statewide race.
But to dismiss him on this basis would be a grave mistake by the political establishment.
Oriyomi Hamzat will remain a voice to be reckoned with and a force to be contended with. His candidacy is likely to mobilise a passionate, often youthful, demographic disillusioned with the mainstream. He can set the agenda, push public health or security issues to the forefront, and influence the debate. In a close race, the bloc of votes he commands could serve as a decisive lever. Established parties and politicians would do well not to antagonise him but to study his model.
What should they study? They must understand that Hamzat’s success highlights a public weary of empty promises and eager for visible, direct action and accountability. It shows that credibility built outside traditional politics is a potent asset. It demonstrates that, in an era of information saturation, a consistent and compelling narrative delivered directly to the people still resonates deeply.
Oriyomi Hamzat may not secure the governorship, but his campaign will serve as a masterclass in modern populist mobilisation.
He is the latest, most digitally savvy incarnation of a political style born and nurtured in Oyo State. Wise observers in Ibadan’s political circles will listen carefully, for his microphone is tuned to the frequency of the streets—and in Oyo, that has always been where the real politics begins.
Demoshood writes from Lagos.
