“Clinging to the fallacy of appeal to pity, till now, Oriyomi Hamzat has neither made any move to foil the plot, nor run in a tearing haste to report his findings. Such claims may generate public sympathy, but they do not address the central questions that require clarification.”
When an individual is confronted with serious questions that require factual explanations, the appropriate response is to present evidence and cooperate with lawful investigations.
Resorting instead to emotional appeals, claims of political persecution, and attempts to attract public sympathy may amount to what logicians describe as the appeal to pity fallacy. (Argumentum ad misericondian).
Oriyomi Hamzat And His Fallacy Of Appeal To Pity
Recent statements attributed to Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat appear to follow this pattern, an appeal to pity fallacy- claiming to know how to put out a furnace with a punny fart, just to draw attention.
Rather than focusing on verifiable facts concerning his alleged connection to Surii Ilupeju, he has repeatedly raised concerns about political persecution, arrest, and unveiling plots to plant hard drugs as subtle ploy to demolish his Agidigbo FM radio station against his gubernatorial ambition.
Clinging to the fallacy of appeal to pity, till now, Oriyomi Hamzat has neither made any move to foil the plot, nor run in a tearing haste to report his findings. Such claims may generate public sympathy, but they do not address the central questions that require clarification.
Reports indicate that Surii Ilupeju was apprehended with illegal arms, light weapons, and materials allegedly suggesting an affinity with a faction associated with Oriyomi. If there are legitimate concerns about any connection, the proper course is to submit oneself to investigation and provide explanations where necessary rather than obstructing course of law.
Public sentiment cannot substitute for evidence. This is particularly at a time when mamoth evidence is clamouring at the police station to be refuted.
Noteworthy at this stage is Oriyomi’s statement: “They might arrest me and keep me away from the public. Whatever happens, I will never back down from contesting to become the governor of Oyo State…”
While such declarations may energise supporters, they risk creating the impression that every inquiry is politically motivated. Not at all. This shift of attention from the substance of the matter to emotions is akin to shadow chasing, while avoiding the real substance.
It is also curious that he said the issue is repeatedly framed as an attempt to stop his governorship ambition on the platform of the Accord Party, despite reports that the party has already identified another flag-bearer. This raises legitimate questions about whether politics is being invoked unnecessarily in a matter that should be addressed through due process. This puts his integrity into question. Allan Simpson says nothing else matters without integrity.
Meanwhile, kudos should be given to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde who has largely maintained silence, despite attempts by some supporters of Oriyomi to implicate him in the controversy. Such restraint reflects a level of political maturity often associated with wise leadership. As the Roman philosopher Seneca observed, don’t talk when a nod will do, meaning that there are moments when silence is more effective than loud speech.
All said, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat needs a crash programme on the immense power of words and how to tame his long tongue.
Our elders say “Listen! Clam up your mouth and be silent like an oyster shell, for that tongue of yours is the enemy of the soul, my friend. When the lips are silent, the heart has a hundred tongues.”
Ultimately, justice is best served not by emotional appeals or political dramatisation, but by facts, evidence, and adherence to the rule of law. The question remains: Why must every issue be distilled into politics when straightforward explanations would suffice?
Oriyomi Hamzat And His Long Walk To Ambition
One does not need a crystal ball to know that Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat has been nursing the ambition to become the governor of Oyo State from the very day Agidigbo FM was launched.
He apparently resolved to use what he had to get what he wanted…which is not a bad idea in itself.
Pronto, he began introducing programmes on radio designed to attract the masses, especially the less privileged, positioning himself as their defender against the affluent and influential in society. Ostensibly, this was to secure justice for the helpless.
Gradually, his radio station became a mini court where various disputes, particularly matrimonial cases, were tried on air. He apportioned blames and invited individuals to defend themselves before the listening public.
My suspicion was aroused the moment Oriyomi transformed his broadcasting wizardry into an altruistic crusade increasingly deployed to whip up public sentiments. I quietly told a friend that “the handshake was gradually passing the elbow.” To me, it became obvious that there was a deeper political ambition beneath the humanitarian posture.
Karl Marx once described religion as “the opium of the masses.” Oriyomi deftly assembled large crowds for weekly prayer meetings at the Agodi Gate Prayer Ground and later extended such gatherings to various communities. These activities further strengthened his public appeal.
Today, with Oriyomi openly venturing into politics, my earlier suspicions appear validated. The handshake has now gone beyond the elbow and is approaching the shoulder. Every move seems to have been part of a calculated journey toward a predetermined destination.
After all, altruism is rarely entirely free from personal motives. Perhaps, this is why some philosophers describe it as a “coded theory”—benevolence sometimes concealing underlying intentions.
One would have expected that the moment of fear for Alhaji Oriyomi had passed before openly pursuing his ambition. As Stephen King observed, “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.” Ironically, Oriyomi’s troubles appeared to begin after he openly declared his political ambition, revealing what many consider the chink in his armour.
This was followed by what seemed to be irreconcilable differences within the Accord Party. Some party chieftains reportedly accused him of being power-drunk and unyielding. This allegedly led to the denial of the party’s governorship ticket, as he was accused of organising his own primary election without the party’s approval.
As these problems persisted, he frequently mounted public platforms to cast aspersions on other political parties, rather than using the opportunity to explain what he intended to do differently for the people of Oyo State, if elected as the governor.
Then came the Suri Ilupeju saga, the attendant police invitation, and his recent travels, which many interpreted as an attempt to avoid the situation.
The final straw, according to his critics, was his alleged campaign in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite the absence of any official directive from the Accord Party.
The moral lesson here is that politics is like walking on eggs. One must tread carefully, lest one destroys both the eggs and oneself in the process. Politics is not an open highway like broadcasting, where adversaries may remain silent. It is a terrain filled with resistance, scrutiny, and consequences.
I wish Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat well in his future endeavours and hope that he will always remember the wisdom of first testing the depth of a river before attempting to cross it.
•Kehinde writes from Akobo, Ibadan.
