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The fallout from the defection of Wole Oke, the House of Representatives member for Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, from the Peoples Democratic Party continued on Monday, with former PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Diran Odeyemi, threatening to initiate his recall.
Odeyemi’s response followed comments made by Oke during a radio interview on Rave FM, Osogbo, where the five-term lawmaker said the PDP would struggle to win future elections in the two local governments he represents.
Oke also claimed that appointees of Governor Ademola Adeleke from the area lacked the financial strength to prosecute elections successfully.
PUNCH Online reported in April that Oke dumped PDP for the All Progressives Congress and in a Sunday PUNCH story on May 4 he declared that he left the party to avoid altercation with Osun governor.
Reacting in a statement, Odeyemi challenged Oke to relinquish the mandate he won under the PDP in the 2023 general elections and recontest under a different party.
“We thank him. But on behalf of the PDP leaders of thought, I want to challenge him to resign his current mandate which ends in 2027 today, and ask INEC to conduct fresh election in our Federal Constituency.
“He should use that opportunity to test his popularity by seeking reelection on the platform of another political party,” he said.
Odeyemi added, “If Wole Oke fails to take up this challenge, I am telling the whole world that the voters in Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency will immediately commence his recall process.
“Someone unwilling to go into free and fair primaries was boasting of being so large politically. The coming months will reveal his truth worth to his new friends.”
He also referenced a claim attributed to Oke that Adeleke’s appointees in the constituency earn less than N10 million monthly and, therefore, cannot effectively fund election campaigns.
“It was even reported that Wole Oke boasted that all Ademola Adeleke political appointees in the two local government are not earning N10 million in a month, thus they can not come up with the required resources to prosecute election,” Odeyemi said.
The former PDP spokesperson further alleged that Oke had long undermined the party.
“As for us in PDP, especially in Oriade/Obokun, we have not lost any valuable leader. Rather, we gain more by offloading political liability dragging us back. Oke has been a mole all along in PDP by financing APC, revealing our plans to opposition camps.
“We remain strong and committed to returning the State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke to office next year by the grace of God,” he stated.
When contacted, Oke did not provide a direct response but instead shared two videos of ward meetings of the APC held in Ibokun, Odeyemi’s hometown, and Ilare in Obokun Local Government Area. In the videos, PDP members announced their defection to the APC.
In one of the videos from Ibokun, a speaker said in Yoruba, “We appreciate you for accepting us into the APC.
“In the elections coming in 2026 and 2027, APC will win in all LGAs in Osun and across the country,” drawing a collective “amen” from attendees.
