Osun poll: Hamzat denies backing APC candidate, reaffirms support for Adeleke

The Accord Party governorship candidate in Oyo State, Oriyomi Hamzat, has reaffirmed his support for Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election bid in the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

The broadcaster also urged the public to disregard a viral video allegedly portraying him as backing the All Progressives Congress candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

Hamzat, in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, described the video as misleading, saying it was recorded on June 21, 2025, long before he joined the Accord Party and before Oyebamiji emerged as the APC governorship candidate.

“My attention has been drawn to a video being deliberately circulated to create a false impression before the good people of Osun State. It is unfortunate that some individuals have chosen to recycle an old video, strip it of its context and present it as though it reflects the present reality,” he said.

According to him, the video was recorded during the inauguration of his fan club in Ikire, Apomu and Ikoyi, where representatives of Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, attended the event and made a donation to the fan club.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the video was recorded on 21 June 2025 during the inauguration of my Fan Club in Ikire, Apomu, and Ikoyi. On that occasion, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) sent his representatives to grace the event and also made a generous donation to my fan club,” he stated.

Hamzat said Oyebamiji had not secured the APC governorship ticket at the time of the event, adding that his remarks during the programme had been taken out of context.

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“It is important to state that, at the time of that event, AMBO had not secured the APC governorship ticket. In fact, I made my position clear during my speech when I said, ‘Just go and get the ticket, then let’s see how it goes.’ That statement alone provides the context that those circulating the video have deliberately chosen to conceal.”

He maintained that the event took place before he joined the Accord Party, describing attempts to use the old footage to suggest a current political alignment as dishonest.

“Furthermore, the event took place long before I joined Accord. It is therefore dishonest to use an old video to manufacture a political narrative that does not exist today. The people of Osun deserve better than propaganda built on half-truths and selective editing.”

Hamzat also reaffirmed his support for Governor Adeleke.

“I stand in one ACCORD with His Excellency, Ademola Adeleke, and I believe in his people-focused administration. Political engagement should be based on truth, integrity, and respect for the intelligence of the people, not on recycled videos intended to mislead the public.”

He urged members of the public to disregard the video and what he described as attempts to distort facts for political purposes.

“I urge the general public to disregard this misinformation and refuse to be deceived by those whose only strategy is to distort facts for political gain.”