Odidiomo Campaign Gives Oriyomi Hamzat 72-Hour Ultimatum Over Alleged Defamatory Video, Threatens Legal Action

The campaign organization of Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide, popularly known as Odidiomo, has condemned a video circulating on social media concerning the recent Molete unrest in Ibadan, describing allegations against the lawmaker as malicious, unsubstantiated and defamatory.

In a press statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday, the campaign spokesperson, Tolu Mustapha, demanded that broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat provide verifiable evidence to substantiate the allegations or retract them and issue a public apology, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action.

The controversy followed a Facebook Live broadcast on the Oriyomi Hamzat Live platform, during which the broadcaster displayed a fez cap allegedly belonging to Odidiomo, the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) candidate for the Oyo South Senatorial District.

During the broadcast, Hamzat allegedly claimed that individuals wearing similar customised caps attacked him during the Molete disturbance. He also reportedly linked the same group to an earlier alleged assault involving Hon. Remi Oseni.

However, the Odidiomo campaign organization firmly denied any connection between its principal and the incident, insisting that the lawmaker had no involvement in the alleged attack or any confrontation with the broadcaster.

“We have no business with you, and we are not contesting for the same position,” the statement read, stressing that Odidiomo’s senatorial ambition in Oyo South was separate from the controversy.

The organization challenged Hamzat to provide concrete and independently verifiable evidence establishing what transpired during the incident, identifying those involved and demonstrating any connection between the alleged attacks and the campaign cap displayed during the broadcast.

It accused the broadcaster of making public insinuations without sufficient evidence and insisted that allegations capable of damaging the reputation of a political candidate should be supported by facts.

As part of its demands, the campaign organization gave Hamzat 24 hours to produce verifiable evidence supporting his claims that the alleged attackers wore Odidiomo-branded campaign caps and were also involved in the reported attack on Remi Oseni.

It further demanded that, should he fail to substantiate the allegations, he must remove the video, record and publish a five-minute video retracting the claims, and issue a formal public apology.

According to the statement, the retraction and apology must be published within 72 hours across five major national newspapers and 10 leading online news platforms.

The campaign organization warned that failure to meet its demands within the stipulated timeframe would compel it to direct its legal team to initiate court proceedings over alleged defamation and libel to protect the reputation and integrity of the APM candidate.

The organization also commended residents of Oyo State who had questioned the circumstances surrounding the broadcast, urging the public to exercise caution and avoid spreading unverified allegations against political candidates.

It maintained that public discourse, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, should be guided by verifiable facts rather than claims that could damage individuals’ reputations.

The allegations and the campaign organization’s demands remain matters of dispute, with the organization insisting that Hamzat must substantiate his claims or issue the demanded retraction and apology.