The lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Hon. Oluwole Oke, has explained that he quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of poor leadership at both the national and state levels.
Speaking on Rave FM’s Frank Talk programme in Osogbo, Oke declared that the PDP would struggle to secure even 1,500 votes from communities in his constituency in the next Osun State election.
He accused the state government under Governor Ademola Adeleke of deliberately sidelining his constituents from the dividends of democracy, which he said was a major factor in his decision to leave the party.
Oke noted that his defection was necessary to attract the attention of the federal government overnment to the needs of his constituency.
According to him, “I decided to leave PDP, I was part of the foundation member, I have been in the party, contested elections, won them back to back…having made consultation with my people, constituents, in the last two weeks, I have held series of meetings to appraise the situation of our party at the National level, state and local government, Ward and unit, we came to the realisation that it is time to quit.
“There are issues why I quit and it is because of the growth and development of my constituents and constituency. I won elections in the past simply because I was able to generate employment for our youths, do a lot of projects for our people, but for how long would you continue to feed your enemy, for how long would the federal government continue to feed their enemies at their own detriment, so the growth and development of my constituency and constituents are major reason for me to want to partner with the federal government.”
He added, “Don’t forget that the president is our father, uncle and we can’t allow him to be in government without supporting him, I want to draw your attention, to recent he established a Federal institution in Iragbiji, what is the distance from the local government to Obokun, as a matter of fact the site of the institution is behind my community, so imagine the downstream opportunities to our people.
“I sponsored a bill to set up Federal College of Agriculture in Ijebu Jesa, the bill went all through, why would you empower the enemy, but it was not assented. I have also proposed that our late Sage, Uncle Bola Ige be honored, how would it see the light of the day, would you empower your enemy? These are the issues and many more.
“Is it wrong for me, three out of four years of Governor Ademola Adeleke to say my leader, my governor please look at the situation of infrastructural decay in Obokun/Oriade.
“Go to Esa-Oke, look at the road linking Imesi Ile and Oke-Imesi Ile, look at the road linking Ijebu Jesa to Iwoye to Esa-Odo, Ilare, Otan, Ere, Ilahun, Ada Owode, Ibokun, Ada, Ipetu Jesa, Ikeji Ile, to Ikeji Arakeji, Ira, Ogotun, these are all the roads that our people use to bring their farm produce, these roads are bad.
“I cried over the poor state of the roads. These are the roads I used to blackmail the APC for PDP to get votes in 2018 and 2022. The last time the road was rehabilitated was during Baba Akande’s government in 1999, we are human beings not animals, it is not too much to ask, why should we be left behind. The issue is that my constituency has been sidelined by Adeleke’s government”.
“Anybody they see associating with me is their enemy so instead of having altercation with the governor I decided to quit, he is a king and if you don’t allow the king to rule the way he wanted, you will be his footstool.”
Speaking about national leadership of his former party, he said “In PDP over years there four key states that finances our party and election, where are they ? Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Bayelsa go and check what is going on there.
“Let us wait until we conduct our next election in Osun State, for example, PDP will not get 500 votes in Esa Oke our 9,000 votes, I can tell you categorically, in Owena, Ikeji Arakeji and others, PDP will struggle to get 1,000 if they are on the ballot. I can give you statistics.”
