PDP Will Not Be On Ballot Of Osun Guber – Wole Oke Insists

Federal House of Representatives member Hon. Wole Oke has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not feature on the ballot in the state’s 2026 governorship election.

Oke, a long-serving federal lawmaker who recently defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the declaration in a Facebook post on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

His comment comes amid swirling reports of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s shock defection to the APC—a political development that has stunned many but which Oke described as a “political earthquake” long foretold.

“The real electoral contest in Osun will be between APC and ADC,” Oke wrote. “PDP will not be on the ballot—this is now evident.”

The lawmaker, who represented the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency under the PDP banner for multiple terms, appears to be positioning himself as both a mouthpiece and strategist for the APC in the unfolding political reconfiguration of the state. In his post, he described the current atmosphere as one of alignment and “political settlement,” suggesting that a new power-sharing understanding may be at play between Adeleke and former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

“With one term each, the logical settlement is for Oyetola to complete his second term in 2026, followed by Adeleke reclaiming his mandate thereafter,” Oke claimed, proposing what he framed as a mature, ego-free transition between political heavyweights now united under the APC banner.

While Governor Adeleke has not publicly confirmed his defection at the time of this report, Oke’s post adds fuel to the growing speculation surrounding the governor’s political direction. The comment also raises critical questions about the future of the PDP in Osun State—once a dominant force—and the fate of its political structures, including local government chairmen, commissioners, and party executives.

Oke’s rhetorical style was not without provocation. He took swipes at unnamed critics and political rivals, particularly those from Ijesa North, referring to them as “OBT leaders” and mocking their current political predicament. “How market now?” he taunted, invoking a Yoruba proverb to drive home his message about political experience and humility.

Beyond the bravado, Oke also issued a political warning couched in wisdom: “Never fight battles you neither understand nor can determine their outcome. Politics is beyond emotion—it’s about strategic patience and wisdom.”

He concluded on a forward-looking note, asserting the APC’s strength going into the 2026 gubernatorial race and forecasting a resounding one million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “We shall peacefully navigate the 2026 Osun Governorship election,” he promised, hinting at his own political aspirations with a cryptic message: “I’m hopeful for something BIG.”

Oke’s declaration may signal the beginning of a new political realignment in Osun State, one in which the once-vibrant PDP could be relegated to the margins—at least, if the APC lawmaker’s predictions prove correct. .