The ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Hon. Wole Oke, have traded words over the alleged neglect of the people of Ijesa North by the current administration.
Oke, who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress in April, had, in a Facebook post, accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of abandoning his responsibilities.
The lawmaker said there was no serious project done in Obokun and Oriade communities by the present administration despite collecting taxes from the constituents, adding that the constituency has not gained anything in the three years of Governor Adeleke.
He said, “You must be from Obokun /Oriade (IJESA NORTH) to feel our pain. The State Government has abandoned its responsibilities. Governor Adeleke-led Government collects taxes from our people as at when due but nothing to show for it.
“I challenge Gov Adeleke to go to any of our Communities in Obokun or Oriade to commission any serious project his Government has carried out.
“Governor Adeleke’s hatred for Ijesa North is infinitesimal (sic). Three years have gone and elections are nearby. What is our gain under Governor Adeleke’s Government? I thank God for removing the scales off my eyes early.”
But the Osun PDP said, unlike Adeleke, Oke was the one who had nothing to show for his over two decades in the green chamber.
The party charged electorates in Obokun-Oriade federal constituency to demand accountability from Oke, adding that the lawmaker has fed fat on their collective mandate for over 20 years.
The PDP, through a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, said that despite being in the House of Representatives for over two decades, Oke has failed to live up to expectations compared to other lawmakers who have spent fewer years in the green chamber.
Bamiji said: “Whatever the case, this is the time for Obokun-Oriade constituents to rise and demand accountability from a man who has fed fat on their collective mandate for over 20 years.
“Wole Oke must stop making Ijesa North look politically vulnerable. He must end his garage-boy style of politics built on last-minute buy-offs and propaganda.”
The statement said Oke has reduced himself to a social media “ranter, scavenging for state government projects to malign” rather than apologise to his constituents for his “long years of greed, deception and failure.”
Bamidele further said: “Under normal circumstances, the two local governments in Obokun–Oriade Federal Constituency should by now be a stabilizing force and a strong buffer for the Osun State Government. After all, Wole Oke has held the mandate of that constituency for over two decades, a stretch long enough to transform the lives of his people beyond measure, if what we see in other spheres outside of Obokun-Oriade is anything to go by. But what has he done with such a rare opportunity?
“That axis of Ijesaland has become a fertile ground for cheap, outdated political gimmicks. Every election season, Wole Oke reenacts the same tired drama: a few months to the polls, he releases a few million naira, compiles a token list of about 200 loyalists, sometimes including dog handlers and praise-singers, pays courtesy visits to a few traditional rulers, and that’s all. Once elected, he vanishes into thin air until the next cycle.”
“Even within the same National Assembly, Rep. Bamidele Salam for instance, has shown what true representation looks like. In just one and a half tenures, Salam has delivered rural and urban electrification, rehabilitated over 20km of roads, provided free healthcare outreaches for the aged, empowered hundreds of youths and traders, awarded ₦100,000 bursaries to over 2,000 tertiary students, and initiated countless educational and community-based interventions.
“So what exactly has Wole Oke been doing with the trust and votes of the good people of Ijesa North other than spewing unprovoked attacks on Governor Ademola Adeleke and the state government on social media?” the statement queried.
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
