By Ogochukwu Isioma
A former Governor of Osun State and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola has struck a deal for a joint ticket with a member of the House of Representatives representing Obokun/Oriade constituency, Wole Oke to contest the 2026 governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), authoritative sources have said.
Political observers said the ambition of Oke, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, to be Deputy Governor under the platform of the APC and the ongoing romance between them must have been the reasons for the serial attacks on Governor Ademola Adeleke by the legislator.
The concluded plan by the Minister to settle for Oke as his running mate for the 2026 Osun governorship election on APC platform, was said to have received the blessing and endorsement of the party leadership in the state.
As part of his efforts to revive his political fortunes in Osun State, Oyetola has reportedly concluded arrangement with Oke, who is currently in PDP, to fly the ticket of the APC for 2026.
This move, according to multiple sources will galvanize support from Osun East and destabilize the ruling PDP in the State.
Despite strong concerns of contempt amongst the Osun APC leaders and stakeholders favouring the Osun West Senatorial District, one of the core issues in the build up to 2018 and 2022 election, Oyetola has seemingly been able to lure Oke into the APC with a joint ticket in 2026.
A source said, “Oke’s continuous open rebuke of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration in Osun State has been traced to a ground plan to betray the Governor and divide the PDP to create an opportunity for the APC to launch a possible comeback to Bola Ige House.
“Oke has visited Oyetola more than 10 times since this year in several locations in Lagos, Abuja and outside Nigeria with a promise to ensure that Adeleke is sacked from office in 2026.
“Convinced that he will not secure an automatic ticket for 2027, for the seventh (7th) consecutive election, he has resorted to sabotaging the chances of the PDP and Governor Adeleke in 2027, and has made two demands from the APC, a joint ticket with Oyetola or a Senate ticket, having realized that the Oriade/Obokun federal constituency stakeholders and electorates will not return him again to the Green Chamber, for the sixth (6th) term.
“Hon. Wole Oke wants to contest for Osun Governor in 2030 and he does not want to be politically irrelevant between 2027 and 2030. He has lost the backing of all political stakeholders in his federal constituency to contest again in 2027. They have told him this is his last opportunity and that is why he is fighting everyone. His relationship with APC is just for one thing; political relevance”.
But after assessing the dangers of working against Senator Fadahunsi in Osun East Senatorial District, Oke has settled for a Deputy Governorship ticket with Oyetola.
This was agreed during a high-powered meeting that took place in Abuja, in the middle of 2024. At the meeting, Oke boasted of having control of about 80% of all political leaders in Ijesha zone, including several members of Osun State House of Assembly and can influence their movement into the APC anytime.
However, sources within the State APC have confirmed strong opposition to this development as many stakeholders have rejected the idea of the party ignoring the Osun West Senatorial District again, given that the current Governor is from the District after several years of neglect of the District, particularly by the APC.
A source said, “As we speak, a former Governor and national leader of the APC has rejected the proposal and insisted that Wole Oke’s political influence is exaggerated. Dindings from the ruling party have shown that all political leaders from Obokun/Oriade and the Ijesha Zone have deserted the lawmaker in his attempt to destabilize the ruling PDP and as such cannot deliver sufficient support from the zone.
“Many APC leaders are furious with this possibility. They know they cannot trust Wole Oke, they have asked him how many Commissioners, Special Advisers and Assembly members from the ruling PDP he is coming with. But he has yet to give them any name. They believe he just wants to use them.”
