Oluwole Oke

Oluwole Busayo Oke (born 28 April, 1967) is a Nigerian businessman, administrator, economist and politician who is serving in the 8th and current House of Representatives. He is the chairman committee on Public Account at the Nigerian House of Representatives representing Obokun/Oriade federal constituency of Osun State under the People's Democratic Party in Nigeria.

Quotes

• I decided to leave the PDP. I was part of the foundation members. I contested and won elections back-to-back in the party but after making consultations with my people, with my constituents, I had series of meetings to appraise the situation of our party at the state and national levels, we came to the realisation that it was time to quit.
  • Interview response tot the question 'After months of suspicions, you finally announced your resignation from the PDP. What pulled you out of the party?'

• The question should be answered by the PDP at the national level. At the state level, the party has no problem. Elder Sunday Bisi is my brother. We have been together for over 40 years. I don’t have any problem with him. He loves me and I love him. There are leaders in the state executives of the party who are my people but there are cracks at the national level. We have to be pragmatic. I don’t deceive myself. In the PDP over the years, there are four key states that finance our election and party — Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Bayelsa; where are they now? What is happening there? If a sitting governor of Delta State and the entire family of PDP could make up their minds that they are leaving because of the crack in the party at the national level, what about me from just a constituency.
  • Interview response tot the question 'Why did the party conflict resolution fail to the point of you taking this decision?'

• You are saying in politics. Human beings develop a party. I developed the party. Go and find out. My constituency traditionally is the base of the progressives. Let me tell you this for free, the home of APC in Osun State is Oriade and Obokun local governments. It takes a lot of efforts to win an election in those places. I go the extra mile to win elections in those two local governments. Go and check the statistics. Naturally, those two local governments are APC’s home. I have to sow heavily to give PDP victory. I didn’t come into politics in penury, without sounding immodest. Go and check my pedigree. So, if some people are just talking, you know, I speak to issues and I challenge anyone to come out and contradict what I’m saying.
  • Interview response to the question 'It’s a fact that the PDP gave you a platform in the House of Representatives for close to 18 years now. Is it safe to say the party made you who you are in politics?'

• How? Even with all the facts and issues that I have laid down? How can anyone say it’s treacherous? Put yourself in my shoes now. Politics is about interest and service to the people. Do you think I am looking for money to pay my children’s school fees? No. It is about how to render good service to my people and my constituency. What will be the purpose of being in parliament and you cannot get your youths employment into Federal Government agencies when the state does not have the capacity to employ them?
  • Interview response to the question 'Forgive me for the choice of words, you have been in the PDP since 1998, and you are a six-term lawmaker under the same platform; don’t you think some would say your action is treacherous?'

• I don’t argue with people on such issues. You wait until we conduct our next election. I will be able to give you statistics of what will happen in the next election. I give you, for example, PDP will not get 500 votes out of close to 9000 votes in Esa-Oke. Take that to the bank. I can also tell you the results in other places. In Ikeji Arakeji, Owenna, Dagbaja, Ipetu-Ijesa, mark my words, PDP will struggle to get 1,000 votes if they are on the ballot. Write it down, and if the statistics fail, I will quit politics.
  • Interview response to the question 'Are you sure people in your constituency are happy with this move??'

• know those people who are working with the governor and honestly, because we sweat and laboured to put the government in place. So, as a Commissioner or Special Adviser or Chairman of a Board, if they converge and said this is their position, let them converge, it is their entitlement and I will leave them to enjoy same. In Obokun/Oriade, we have close to 80,000 votes. The totality of the people in government now from Obokun as at the last count are about 11, with their total earnings per month less than N10m. In Oriade, they are fewer, and let me put their earnings at N10m also. That’s is N20m in total per month. That is the money we spend on paying children’s school fees. Is that what they will use for election in Ipetu-Ijesa? You wait and see what will happen in Ipetu-Ijesa. I’m giving you an expo which I should not even tell you, but I’m telling you now, so, they can prepare ahead.
  • Interview response to the question 'There are reports that PDP in Ijesa North said they are not with you, why are you so confident?'