Hamzat explains why Olubadan is seen as a ‘brother’ by Tinubu, Atiku

Broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat has defended his criticism of Peter Obi over the former Labour Party presidential candidate’s congratulatory message to the newly crowned Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.

In a post on X on Sunday, Hamzat argued that Obi lacks the “history and closeness” that make similar remarks by other politicians acceptable.

His comments came after an X user questioned why President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar were not similarly condemned for addressing the monarch as “my brother” in their goodwill messages.

The user, posting under the handle #mfclothingceo, asked:
“But Alhaji, how is it right for Tinubu and Atiku to use ‘my friend’ and ‘my brother’ in their congratulatory messages to Kabiyesi, but not right for Obi to say ‘my dear brother’? If it is disrespectful, why single out Obi and ignore the rest?”

Responding, Hamzat maintained that Tinubu and Atiku’s choice of words was culturally appropriate because of their long-standing personal and political ties with Oba Ladoja.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at 73, is only eight years younger than His Imperial Majesty. More importantly, both men share a history. Tinubu and Oba Ladoja served as senators during the Third Republic and later became governors in the same political season. They were contemporaries in Nigeria’s turbulent democratic journey,” Hamzat wrote.

He recalled that when Ladoja was impeached as Oyo State governor in 2006, Tinubu—then governor of Lagos—played a key role in mobilising political and legal support for his reinstatement.

“That bond, tested in the heat of struggle, is what makes Tinubu’s reference to Oba Ladoja as ‘my brother’ both natural and culturally appropriate,” he added.

Hamzat also pointed out that Atiku had shared history with the monarch.

“Atiku was Vice-President at the time and attended His Imperial Majesty’s 60th birthday. That shows both Atiku and Oba Ladoja have some kind of history as well,” he noted.

He stressed, however, that Obi lacked such ties.

“On the other hand, Mr Obi lacks that history, that closeness, and that cultural context. To call Kabiyesi ‘my brother’ is to ignore the values of Omoluabi that Ibadan and Yorubaland hold dear — values that honour age, experience, and legacy,” Hamzat argued.

The remarks added fuel to an online debate sparked by Obi’s use of “my dear brother” in his goodwill message to the Olubadan — a choice of words critics, including Hamzat, described as a breach of Yoruba royal protocol.

In a broadcast, Hamzat said: “Yoruba people, Ibadan indigenes, Obi has disrespected you. He called the Olubadan, a royal head, ‘my friend.’”

Obi, however, clarified his stance in a separate post on Sunday, stressing that no disrespect was intended.

“Certainly, no disrespect intended in my goodwill message to His Royal Majesty. I felicitated with my dear elder brother, the newly crowned His Royal Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja,” he wrote.