Accord Party governorship candidate in Oyo State, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, has intensified his grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 governorship election with a series of courtesy visits to major radio stations in Ibadan.
Hamzat, a veteran broadcaster and founder of Agidigbo 88.7 FM, visited Fresh FM, Solutions 93.9 FM, Success 105.3 FM, 32 FM and Adamimogo 105.1 FM, engaging management, broadcasters and other stakeholders as part of his growing political campaign.
He disclosed that the visits were designed to formally present his governorship ambition to members of the broadcast industry, seek their support and exchange views on the future of Oyo State.
In a statement shared after commencing the visits, Hamzat said the broadcast media remained a critical institution in shaping public discourse, informing citizens and strengthening democracy.
According to him, his decision to engage colleagues in the industry was informed by the important role broadcasters play in determining how issues affecting society are discussed and understood.
He stressed that the media should not only shape public opinion but also contribute actively to building the kind of society people desire.
A Candidate Returns to His Roots
Hamzat’s outreach to radio stations carries particular significance because broadcasting has been central to his public identity long before his entry into partisan politics.
His career has taken him through several broadcast platforms, including BCOS, FRCN, Raypower and 32 FM, before he established Agidigbo FM, where he became widely known for programmes focused on social intervention, public accountability and the problems confronting ordinary Nigerians.
That background gives the latest visits an unusual political dimension. Rather than approaching the media solely as a politician seeking publicity, Hamzat is engaging an industry in which he has spent years working and building relationships.
At Fresh FM, Hamzat met with Chairman of the organisation, renowned broadcaster and entertainer Dr. Yinka Ayefele, in what was described as part of his ongoing consultation with influential figures within the broadcast community.
The encounter also highlighted the wider significance of the media in the unfolding 2027 political contest.
Beyond Campaign Publicity
At the different stations, discussions centred broadly on Hamzat’s political ambition, his vision for Oyo State and the responsibility of broadcasters in shaping political conversations ahead of the election.
His message has been anchored on what he describes as truthful, measurable and accountable governance, with emphasis on development that reaches communities across the state.
Hamzat recently stated that his campaign would be guided by a commitment to publish what his administration plans to do, track what it funds and report what it delivers.
That approach, he argued, would make governance more transparent and allow citizens to measure government performance rather than relying solely on political promises.
Leveraging His Media Advantage
For Hamzat, the media tour also provides an opportunity to leverage one of his strongest political assets — familiarity with the airwaves.
His years behind the microphone have given him considerable recognition among radio audiences in Oyo State, particularly among Yoruba-speaking listeners and grassroots communities.
His popular interventionist programme, “Kokoro Alate,” helped establish his reputation as a broadcaster who frequently intervened in personal, social and community problems brought to his attention.
That profile became an important part of the foundation upon which he built his political movement.
Hamzat formally declared his intention to contest the Oyo governorship in January 2026, saying his decision followed what he described as a call from the people to serve.
He subsequently picked the Accord Party’s governorship nomination forms in May. The party later announced him as its recognised governorship candidate following its May primary process, although the party’s ticket was initially surrounded by competing claims from another aspirant.
From Microphone to Government House
His transition from broadcaster to governorship candidate has already injected a different dynamic into the 2027 race.
Unlike many politicians who rely heavily on conventional campaign structures, Hamzat enters the contest with an established public profile built through years of direct interaction with citizens.
His supporters argue that this grassroots familiarity gives him an advantage in reaching voters beyond traditional political circles.
Critics, however, are likely to test whether popularity on radio can be successfully converted into votes across Oyo State’s 33 local government areas.
That question may become one of the defining issues of the 2027 contest.
A Wider Political Battle
Hamzat’s mobilisation is taking place against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive race to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde in 2027.
The Accord candidate has also become increasingly vocal about the record of the present administration and his own relationship with Makinde, whom he has claimed he supported during the governor’s emergence in politics.
Makinde, meanwhile, has urged those seeking to succeed him to concentrate on what they intend to do differently rather than making his administration the centrepiece of their campaigns.
With the political temperature gradually rising, Hamzat’s decision to begin his outreach from the broadcast industry where he built his reputation could prove strategically significant.
The latest radio-station visits therefore represent more than a routine courtesy call.
They signal an attempt by the Accord candidate to reconnect with the professional constituency that helped shape his public identity, strengthen relationships with media gatekeepers and, perhaps most importantly, take his political message directly to the millions of Oyo residents who continue to rely on radio for news, information and public debate.
For a politician whose career was built around the microphone, the 2027 campaign may well be a contest in which the microphone remains one of his most potent political weapons.
0 Comments