Osun PDP slams Wole Oke over defection to APC
The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Thursday, slammed the member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Wole Oke, accusing him of abusing the privileges the party had extended to him over the years.
The PDP was reacting to Oke’s defection to the All Progressives on Wednesday.
In a letter dated April 16, 2025, addressed to the PDP Chairman of his Ward 07 in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area, Oke formally resigned his membership of the party.
He also sent similar resignation letters to the PDP National Chairman, as well as the Osun and Obokun PDP Chairmen.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, the Osun PDP Chairman, Mr. Sunday Bisi, described Oke’s decision as unfortunate, noting that Oke enjoyed the goodwill of the PDP for more than two decades, having been elected multiple times to the National Assembly under the party’s platform.
He said, “Hon. Oke has long conducted himself like a pampered political stakeholder, more interested in being spoon-fed than earning his place through rules of healthy competition.
“His trademark has always been orchestrated discontents and divisive tactics, never genuine in party commitment. The PDP leadership has remained well ahead of his shenanigans, fully aware of his pattern of self-serving pontifications.”
According to Bisi, Oke’s defection only confirmed that he sees politics “as a personal enterprise rather than a wheel of service to the people.”
“As the days unfold, it will become even clearer to the world that politics is and must remain a game of the people, not a playground for selfish adventurism,” he said.
Bisi urged party members, especially those in Obokun/Oriade, to remain focused and united in pursuit of the progress being delivered by the Ademola Adeleke-led administration.
The PDP, in a separate statement, said it had long anticipated Oke’s defection.
The party alleged that Oke had refused to engage in internal party competition and preferred to be handed candidacy “on a platter.”
Oke, in response to his situation, had earlier voiced his frustration.
In a video obtained by The PUNCH, he told his constituents: “I stayed behind, nurtured and financed the party to greatness. I supported my incumbent governor to become senator of our party. I offended so many people just because I wanted the party to capture power in the state.”
“But today, what is the story? I’m the enemy of the government; I’m the enemy of the party,” he said.
He continued, “The purpose of nurturing this party is to enable my followers, my constituents to also benefit from it to become councillors, chairman of councils, to become secretaries to the local government and all that. That’s the purpose of my endurance with the government.”
“But what do I get in return? I have seen invaders who never knew how we started this process and are spewing all sorts of stories and unfortunately, the government of the state is believing them and that is the painful aspect of it.”
“I want all of you to advise me, in a situation where you are not trusted, where your opinion does not count, where your advice is not taken into consideration, and where you are undermined, please advise me: what do you think I should do?”
It was also learned that Oke met with his loyalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he disclosed plans to leave the PDP.
Reacting, Osun PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, stated, “What happened on Wednesday, as far as we are concerned in Osun PDP and in the mind of our Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, doesn’t come to us as a surprise. It has been a time bomb waiting to happen to Hon. Wole Oke, who has been a lazy politician that will not want to engage in many political contests.”
“All he wanted all along was a freebies of party candidacy. At that, he would do whatever he thinks he can do to win the general election with the support and popularity of the PDP, especially in Osun State.”
“For us, we are not caught aback. PDP in Osun especially, we have been so methodical that we know our recalcitrant members, and we have always been ahead of them.”
He added, “What Hon. Wole Oke feels is that no other person, or the PDP as a party, must not allow any other stalwart of the party to express any aspiration concerning the seat as a member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency. That will no longer be a democracy.”
“We cannot continue to gag our members because of the interest of one person. That is not in the characteristics of PDP. Hon. Wole Oke has enjoyed party’s support for close to 20 years in the democratic experience of Nigeria which is just barely 24 years old now or even less. He has been in the House of Representatives for close to 20 years and so, the question any sane man would ask is that, what really went wrong?”
Former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, also reacted to the news, saying, and “This I can understand from the perspective of someone who has enjoyed almost 18 years as House of Rep member becoming a former or ex. He should not be too greedy, unappreciative and selfish.”
“Obokun, especially Oriade Constituency, has been magnanimous enough. It is logical and right to allow them to choose a candidate this time around. What Oke fails to realise is that nobody can be an everlasting champion, there is always an expiry date.
