The party was reacting to Oke’s defection on Wednesday.
In a letter dated April 16, 2025, addressed to the PDP Chairman in his Ward 07, 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 party chairmen in Osun State and Obokun Local Government Area.
Reacting to Oke’s resignation in a statement, the Osun State PDP Chairman, Mr. Sunday Bisi, described Oke’s decision as unfortunate, noting that the lawmaker enjoyed the goodwill of the party for more than two decades, having been elected multiple times to the National Assembly on its platform.
“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,” he said.
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.”
Bisi urged party members, especially those in Obokun/Oriade, to remain focused and united in pursuit of the progress being delivered by the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration.
“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,” the PDP chairman added.
Oke had in an interview with Osogbo-based radio station, Rave F.M., voiced his frustration.
“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.
“The purpose of nurturing this party is to enable my followers, my constituents to also benefit from it– to become councillors, chairmen 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?” he said.
It was also learned that Oke met with his loyalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he disclosed plans to leave the PDP.
However, Osun PDP, in a separate statement released by the Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji,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.”
“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.
“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?” Oladele said.
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