The Oyo State governorship candidate of the Accord Party, Oriyomi Hamzat, has declared that he will support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying he has no reason to work against the President when his party has adopted him as its preferred candidate.
Hamzat spoke with journalists on Saturday on the sidelines of the University of Ibadan’s 2026 convocation and 78th Foundation Day ceremony, where he received a master’s degree in Peace and conflict resolution.
Hamzat is a radio presenter based in Ibadan and the chairman and chief executive officer of 88.7 Agidigbo FM.
His comments followed a meeting with former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, who visited him in Ibadan to seek his support and that of Accord Party members for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Hamzat explained that the party had not presented a separate presidential candidate and had instead chosen to support Tinubu, making it necessary for him to align with its decision.
He said opposing the President would amount to going against his party’s position and could also undermine his own governorship campaign, particularly as he seeks to challenge established political figures in Oyo State.
“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 do anti-party. I have to follow the guidelines of my party. We will work for Tinubu.
“Secondly, I’m a governorship candidate struggling to have 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 counterproductive,” he said.
On his ambition to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde, Hamzat ruled out withdrawing from the race in favour of another aspirant, insisting that he remained committed to contesting the election.
He said his ambition was driven by a desire to serve the people rather than simply occupy a political office.
“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 said.
The Accord candidate also promised to present a manifesto centred on the needs and welfare of residents, with particular attention to development at the grassroots.
“The best thing that will happen to Oyo is to have Oriyomi Hamzat as their 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 centered on the people,” he said.
Hamzat said his proposed administration would establish mediation centres across all 33 local government areas of Oyo State to help resolve disputes at community level before they develop into larger security problems.
“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.
He explained that the centres would provide a platform for addressing disagreements within communities and preventing conflicts from escalating.
The governorship hopeful also said his master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution was intended to strengthen his practical experience in settling disputes with formal academic knowledge.
He noted that he had previously relied on traditional methods of conflict resolution and lessons from older generations but found that his studies at the University of Ibadan exposed him to additional approaches and areas requiring further understanding.
