A member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, has revealed that his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by his commitment to empowering his constituents and contributing to the infrastructural development of his community.
Oke, who represents Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency in Osun State, first entered the House of Representatives in 1999. He was re-elected in 2003 and 2007 but lost his seat in 2011.
However, he made a comeback in 2015 and has since remained a member of the Green Chamber. Before his recent defection, Oke was a prominent PDP lawmaker and currently chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He formally defected to the ruling APC two weeks ago, citing a desire to end political hostilities with President Bola Tinubu and align himself with the administration’s development goals.
In an interview with Punch, Oke explained his decision, stating, “I decided to join the All Progressives Congress to enable me to actualise my passion of empowering the people and influence infrastructural development and welfare of the people in my constituency.”
Oke further expressed his commitment to supporting the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stating, “I will be ready to contribute my own quota for the progress of the Renewed Hope agenda of the President for the betterment of a greater number of Nigerians across the length and breadth of the country.”
He emphasised the importance of fairness and inclusivity in his political engagements, saying, “In pursuing our agenda, we will let equity, fairness, and justice be our guiding principles.”
The lawmaker had previously accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of marginalising his constituency, which he described as the “food basket” of Osun State.
Since Oke’s defection, several PDP stakeholders, particularly from the Ijebu North axis, have followed his lead and joined the APC.
However, despite the political shift, the Osun State chapter of the PDP has dismissed Oke’s exit as inconsequential, asserting that it would not affect the party’s strength in the state.