Olusola Oke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2012 governorship election in Ondo state has concluded plans to defect officially to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a close aide has told Saharareporters.
The aide who spoke under condition of anonymity in Akure, said Oke had last weekend met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, Ogun state to brief him on his defection plans.
Obasanjo reportedly gave him his blessing to go ahead to quickly defects to the APC before Saturday House of Assembly elections in the state, the aide also said.
Sources in Obasanjo’s home confirmed Oke’s visit to the hilltop mansion in Abeokuta.
He revealed that Oke has already met with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s secretariat along Oyemekun road in Akure, the state’s capital while arrangement on his defection has been concluded.
But, Olusola Oke had refused to pick calls placed to his phone and had decline to reply to text messages.
The aide disclosed that Oke held a midnight meeting with the APC leaders at their office.
“Chief Olusola Oke at the late hour of yesterday midnight met with the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Isaac Kekemeke and other leaders of the party which includes Tayo Alasoadura inside the party’s secretariat.
“The meeting was a very long one because several considerations have to be put in place and mind you, Oke was at the midnight meeting with only trusted allays from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Some of the considerations was that he (Oke) would be defecting alongside a horde of supporters from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which literary means he is coming with a whole structure to the party, and there must be room to accommodate them all”, he said.
Tayo Alasoadura, a leader of the party and senator-elect from the Ondo central senatorial district of the state who was also at the midnight meeting exclusively told Saharareporters that “Oke is now with us”.
“Yes, I can confirm to you that Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is now in the All Progressives Congress (APC). We have talked and ironed out how the party would accommodate us all. He would be coming with a big structure, and there is enough room to accommodate them all.
“His defection would put heat on his formal party and is going to be a crack on their wall because more people are coming. You remembered the Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi is now with us, and I can assure you that many more will join us in days to come”, he said.
Oke had been in a brawl with the embattled governor of the state, Olusegun Mimiko since the defection of latter to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mimiko had dominated the party and forcefully hijacked its structure.