Accord Party Crisis Deepens as Bukola Ajaja Levels Explosive Allegations Against Oriyomi Hamzat
Fresh controversy has continued to trail the internal crisis rocking the Accord Party in Oyo State following explosive allegations made by prominent party chieftain, Dr. Bukola Ajaja, against popular broadcaster and gubernatorial hopeful, Oriyomi Hamzat.
Speaking during a live programme on Fresh FM hosted by Mayor Isaac Brown, Ajaja openly addressed the growing tension within the party, accusing Oriyomi of attempting to hijack the party structure and destabilize its internal leadership ahead of the Oyo State governorship race.
Ajaja, who maintained that he remains the National Secretary of the Accord Party, stated that his relationship with Oriyomi Hamzat initially began on a cordial note due to long-standing personal connections. According to him, Oriyomi’s supposed father was once his childhood friend, although he later discovered that Kunle Hamzat was not Oriyomi’s biological father.
He further disclosed that at the early stage of political consultations, he and several top leaders of the Accord Party had collectively agreed to allow Oriyomi Hamzat contest the governorship election under the party platform without opening the race to other aspirants.
However, Ajaja claimed things later took a different turn after he allegedly observed what he described as “aggressive political behavior” from the media personality.
According to him, Oriyomi allegedly attempted to create divisions within the party by pushing for the installation of his loyalists into executive positions across the state structure, from the state level down to local governments.
Ajaja alleged that Oriyomi frequently organized meetings with party aspirants and stakeholders independently, an action he described as an attempt to build a parallel political structure outside the officially recognized Accord Party hierarchy.
The Accord chieftain also mentioned the involvement of popular Ibadan businessman and founder of Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort, Dotun Sanusi, popularly known as Ilaji, in discussions surrounding the Accord governorship ticket involving Oriyomi Hamzat and another political figure, Owoseni.
Speaking further on the internal power struggle, Ajaja alleged that Oriyomi once contacted the administrative office of the Accord Party national secretariat and allegedly threatened to “deal with” and fight him.
He claimed that shortly after the alleged threat, some individuals believed to be loyal to Oriyomi attacked one of his hotel facilities.
Ajaja also shed light on the role played by another governorship aspirant, Owoseni, during the party’s primary election process. According to him, Owoseni publicly maintained that he did not officially step down for Oriyomi Hamzat but merely chose not to engage in a prolonged political battle over the party ticket.
Ajaja, however, alleged that both Oriyomi and Owoseni were secretly working together politically behind the scenes.
He further claimed that on the eve of the Accord Party governorship primary election, Oriyomi attended meetings alongside him and other party executives, while allegedly engaging in separate dealings with a supervisor sent from Abuja to oversee the exercise.
According to Ajaja, the Abuja supervisor was originally expected to work closely with the recognized state executives but was allegedly influenced by Oriyomi’s camp.
Despite this, Ajaja insisted that under the constitution of the Accord Party, the responsibility for conducting governorship primary elections legally rests with the state executive council and not external actors.
The controversy took another dramatic turn during the live radio discussion when party figure Gudugudu reportedly presented his Certificate of Return live on air before Mayor Isaac Brown.
Ajaja contrasted this with Oriyomi Hamzat’s situation, claiming that Oriyomi only displayed a clearance certificate issued to enable participation in the primary election rather than an actual Certificate of Return confirming candidacy.
The allegations have since intensified conversations within Oyo State’s political space, especially among supporters of the Accord Party, as questions continue to emerge over the legitimacy of internal processes and the growing battle for control of the party ahead of future elections.
As of the time of filing this report, Oriyomi Hamzat and other individuals mentioned in the allegations had not publicly responded to the claims raised by Dr. Bukola Ajaja during the radio interview.
Political observers believe the unfolding drama may significantly shape the future of the Accord Party in Oyo State, particularly as political alignments and governorship ambitions continue to gain momentum ahead of the next electoral cycle.
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