From Vision to Legacy: Drawing Parallels Between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alh. Oriyomi Hamzat

This article serves two purposes — to commemorate:
i. August 3, 1966— 59 years ago— when Chief Obafemi Awolowo was released from prison on after being imprisoned in 1963 on charges of treason during Nigeria’s First Republic.
ii To draw a parallel between Awo and OH
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From Vision to Legacy: Drawing Parallels Between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alh. Oriyomi Hamzat
In every generation, Nigeria has witnessed a few rare individuals whose personal struggles, public service, and ideological clarity rise above the noise of politics and set a new standard for leadership. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was one. Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat is becoming another.
Though born in different times and contexts, both men share a common core: an unyielding passion for the people, a background forged by hardship, and a leadership style anchored in sacrifice, vision, and legacy-building.
Humble Beginnings, Unbreakable Spirits—
Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s rise to national prominence wasn’t paved with ease. Losing his father at a young age in 1920 left him vulnerable, forcing him to take on odd jobs — including working as a houseboy to survive. But that never broke his resolve. If anything, it sharpened it. He became the first Nigerian to qualify as a lawyer through correspondence from the University of London, later using that education as a tool for nation-building.
Similarly, Alh. Oriyomi Hamzat’s story began in obscurity. Born into modest means, he was underestimated in the early days of his media journey. His bold voice in defense of the oppressed was seen as a threat to powerful interests. In 2017, he was falsely charged with murder—a trumped-up case tied to his fearless journalism. Like Awolowo’s unjust treason trial and imprisonment in 1963, Oriyomi’s ordeal only cemented his commitment to justice and truth.
Both men were scorned by the powerful for daring to amplify the cries of the powerless—but neither stayed down.
Discipline, Focus, and a Politics of Purpose—
To Awolowo, politics was not a game of thrones but a sacred responsibility. He saw it as a vehicle for public good. His discipline was unmatched, his vision laser-focused. He pioneered free education, children’s healthcare, and infrastructural revolutions in the Western Region that remain unmatched in many parts of Nigeria.
In the same mold, for Alh. Oriyomi Hamzat— public advocacy is sacred mission, not some side hustle. On this calling he has built structures that cater to the people: free healthcare for the elderly, scholarships for hundreds of students, feeding programs for the underprivileged (Koto Àánú), and access to legal and social justice through his media channels and foundation. With no government funding, he is doing what many elected officials fail to do.
Both men redefined service: Awolowo did it through politics, Oriyomi is doing it through media, advocacy, and community work.
Pioneers in Thought and Action
Awolowo was a man of many firsts: first Nigerian to establish a television station (WNTV), first to institute free primary education, first to offer free healthcare to children, and first to show that an African leader could be ideologically grounded and administratively visionary.
Oriyomi too is a trailblazer. He became the first Ibadan-born radio presenter to establish a private station — Agidigbo FM, which quickly rose to become one of Nigeria’s most listened-to stations. He expanded his voice to the UK, launching the first indigenous Yoruba-speaking station abroad. He is the first broadcaster in Oyo State to create a fully structured charity foundation, and now, he is the first radio voice to be organically called by the people to become their governor.
This pattern is not mere coincidence. It’s the symmetry of impact that leadership, when rooted in integrity and empathy, tends to produce.
A People’s Legacy—
Awolowo was not just a politician; he was a teacher, builder, and protector of the national interest. His ideas outlived his office. Today, decades after his passing, his name is still evoked with reverence and hope.
Likewise, Oriyomi Hamzat is not just a broadcaster. He has become a voice of conscience, a force for justice, and a symbol of what people-powered leadership looks like. The people of Oyo are not rallying behind him because of political machinery, but because of memories of what he has done, he is doing, and belief in what more he can do.
History Repeats Through Character—
Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s legacy teaches us that true leadership is not about position, but about service and sacrifice. Oriyomi Hamzat is living proof that this lesson still matters. With every family he uplifts, every widow he empowers, and every injustice he speaks against, he walks a path Awolowo once charted — with purpose.
The people of Oyo State are not just calling Oriyomi to run; they are calling him to lead — because he already is.
And as history has shown us, when the people call — it’s because they’ve seen a reflection of hope.