Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, a former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, has stepped down from the troubled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Oluwateru, who served as deputy governor under the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, made the announcement on Thursday during celebrations for his 79th birthday, organized by the Asiwaju Mandate Group in Akure.
The former Nigerian Ambassador to Uganda explained that his decision to leave the opposition party was due to the “lingering leadership crisis” affecting the PDP at both national and state levels, which he described as a lack of direction, foresight, and internal cohesion.
Having served as deputy governor between 2003 and 2007 and as a former member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Oluwateru singled out the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for exacerbating the party’s internal challenges.
“I am not leaving politics completely; I am only leaving the PDP. In another one or two weeks, I will let Nigerians know where I am heading politically.
“The problem in the PDP has become so serious that it is no longer manageable. Nyesom Wike has reduced the PDP to nothing, and as a responsible person, I cannot continue in the party.
“I have been in the PDP since 1998. I have never left before, but when the roof of a house is completely blown off, only a few people will remain inside. I have written my resignation letter and submitted it to my ward chairman,” he said.
Engr Ade Adetimehin, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, described Oluwateru as a man of integrity and a valuable addition to the progressive family and the ruling party in the state.
While the former deputy governor did not officially declare his defection to the APC, Adetimehin expressed confidence that Oluwateru would join the party.