A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Diran Odeyemi, has declared his intention to spearhead a recall initiative targeting Wole Oke, the member representing Ijesa North (Obokun/Oriade) Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, following the lawmaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naijaonpoint reports that Oke, now serving his fifth term in the National Assembly, officially ended his PDP affiliation via a letter dated April 16, 2025.
The resignation letter, which he addressed to his party’s Ward 7 Chairman in Obokun Local Government Area, signalled the close of his decades-long relationship with the opposition party.
Speaking on a current affairs programme broadcast on Rave FM in Osogbo, Oke attributed his exit to what he described as the PDP’s declining electoral viability in his constituency.
He took a swipe at political appointees from the region under Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, labelling them as lacking both political weight and financial capability.
In response, Odeyemi issued a strong-worded statement where he openly challenged Oke to vacate his current seat and seek re-election under the APC platform.
“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.
“He should ask INEC to conduct fresh elections in our federal constituency and test his popularity under another political platform,” he said.
Odeyemi went on to caution that should Oke refuse to relinquish his seat voluntarily, constituents were prepared to trigger a formal recall process in accordance with democratic provisions.
Downplaying the impact of Oke’s departure, Odeyemi asserted that the PDP had not suffered any significant political loss within the constituency.
“The coming months will reveal his true worth to his new friends. Voters are prepared to take action. Rather, we gain more by offloading political liability dragging us back,” he added.
The PDP chieftain further accused the defected lawmaker of working against the PDP from within by allegedly passing sensitive party strategies to APC stakeholders.
Odeyemi concluded his remarks by reaffirming the commitment of PDP loyalists to backing Governor Adeleke’s re-election bid in 2026.