Woli Tibetan Tears Into Oriyomi Hamzat: “Oyo State Needs Leadership, Not Just Noise on Radio”

I was deeply disappointed when I heard that Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat wants to become the Governor of Oyo State. For someone I have listened to over the years, I find it difficult to understand how a man known primarily for his highly confrontational style on radio now believes he is ready to lead an entire state.

Oriyomi Hamzat has built a powerful media platform through Agidigbo FM, where his programmes have given ordinary people an opportunity to express their frustrations and seek intervention in matters affecting them. His influence is undeniable. However, influence in broadcasting is not necessarily the same thing as competence in governance.

That is the fundamental question Oyo people must ask: Beyond the microphone, the popularity and the noise, what exactly does Oriyomi Hamzat intend to offer the people of Oyo State as governor?

This was the central point raised by Woli Tibetan, who went hard on Hamzat, questioning his temperament, preparedness and suitability for the highest political office in the state.

The criticism also comes against the background of the tragic December 18, 2024 children's Christmas funfair in Ibadan, organised in collaboration with Agidigbo FM and associated with Naomi Silekunola. The event ended in a devastating stampede that claimed the lives of 35 children. Hamzat and others were subsequently charged over the incident, with prosecutors alleging failures relating to security, crowd control and medical preparedness.

However, for the sake of accuracy, the legal history must be properly stated. The Oyo State Government withdrew the criminal charges in March 2025, and the court struck them out. Therefore, it cannot responsibly be claimed that Hamzat personally “blocked” the case. The fact remains, however, that the tragedy generated serious public questions about event safety, accountability and responsibility.

Now that Hamzat has entered the political arena, those questions naturally deserve renewed public attention.

His declaration for the 2027 Oyo governorship under the Accord Party has transformed him from simply being a broadcaster and social commentator into a political candidate seeking the mandate to govern more than seven million people across 33 local government areas. He formally declared his ambition in January 2026.

That transition requires much more than the ability to command attention on radio.

Governorship demands policy knowledge, economic understanding, administrative competence, institutional discipline, security strategy, infrastructure planning and the ability to manage people with different interests and political opinions.

Woli Tibetan's criticism therefore raises a broader question: Where are the learned and experienced people of Oyo State, and what standard should the state demand from anyone seeking to govern it?

Politics should not be reduced to popularity contests or the size of a person's following. Oyo State deserves a governor who can translate promises into policies, manage public resources responsibly and provide practical solutions to the challenges facing its people.

Hamzat may have supporters, influence and political ambition. He is entitled to seek the governorship, just as Oyo voters are entitled to scrutinise his record, temperament, experience and ideas.

Ultimately, it will not be radio popularity, political noise or emotional rhetoric that determines who governs Oyo State.

It will be the people.

And as Woli Tibetan's intervention suggests, the real debate should now move beyond personalities and focus squarely on one question:

What exactly does Oriyomi Hamzat have to offer Oyo State?