The political alliance between Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and popular broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat has finally hit the rocks, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Hamzat, the Accord Party governorship candidate, has claimed responsibility for introducing Makinde to the political limelight that eventually secured him the governorship seat.

Addressing Accord Party members in Ibadan on Saturday, the host of the popular interventionist programme “Kokoro Alate” insisted he deserves the credit for the successes recorded during Makinde’s eight-year administration.

THENEWSCREDIT reports that Hamzat expressed disappointment over what he described as a deliberate attempt to deny him recognition for the government`s achievements, despite his pivotal role in bringing the administration to power.

“Seyi Makinde has reformed Oyo. Who brought Seyi Makinde? I was the one. I was one of those who brought him and supported him as governor,” Hamzat declared. “All those good things, why don`t you give me the credit? Why is it that people only use the unpleasant sides to attack me? Even the opposition parties credit him with wonderful things; why not credit me for those ones too?”

Dismissing allegations that he is ungrateful, Hamzat stressed that his support for the governor was strictly built on an agreement to protect the masses, rather than personal gain.

“People have called me an ungrateful person. How? Is it not the same Oriyomi that campaigned for him? The belief the public had in me reflected in the election results. I am not following government because of contracts. There was no transactional relationship whatsoever,” he added.

The public fallout underscores a deepening rift between the former close allies. Governor Makinde, currently serving out his second term, recently defected to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to pursue a 2027 presidential bid, having been formally presented as the party`s candidate in May 2026.

As part of his succession plan in Oyo State, Makinde has thrown his weight behind Bimbo Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance under the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi. Adekanmbi has since been adopted as the APM consensus governorship candidate to drive the continuity of Makinde’s "Omituntun" agenda.

THENEWSCREDIT however gathered, Hamzat, intends to disrupt this succession plan. Having picked up his expression of interest and nomination forms under the Accord Party in January, the broadcaster’s entry into the race has heavily altered the state`s political dynamics.

The political friction has coincided with rising tensions. In June, the Oyo State Police Command raided an Ibadan residence linked to a former Park Management System member, Surajudeen Babatunde Adio (alias "Suri Ilupeju"), recovering firearms, ammunition, and charms.

Political opponents attempted to link the fleeing suspect to Hamzat, a move the broadcaster fiercely denied, labeling it a state-sponsored smear campaign designed to derail his governorship ambition. He reiterated that he has never shielded or supported criminal activities.

Looking ahead to his potential administration, Hamzat targeted the controversial Ibadan Circular Road and its 1,000-metre corridor project. He promised Accord Party members that if elected governor, he would immediately open the road for public use regardless of its completion stage, vowing that further construction would be halted until all affected residents receive adequate compensation.