The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has instituted legal action against Hon. Oluwole Oke, the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in Osun State, following his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demands that Oke be removed from his position in the House of Representatives for breaching constitutional provisions.
In the case filed by its lead counsel, Raphael Oyewole, the PDP is asking the court to declare Oke’s seat vacant under Section 68(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This section stipulates that any member of the National Assembly who defects from the political party on whose platform they were elected, without evidence of a division or merger within that party, must forfeit their seat.
Hon. Oke, a six-term lawmaker and one of the most prominent political figures from Osun State, announced his resignation from the PDP in a letter dated April 16, 2025. The letter, addressed to the party’s ward chairman in Obokun Local Government Area, was also copied to the state and national leadership of the PDP. In his resignation note, Oke cited consultations with political associates, friends, and family as the basis for his defection to the APC.
The PDP, however, maintains that there is no division, merger, or factional crisis within its structure that would legally permit such a defection. The party views Oke’s action as a direct violation of the law and an affront to the electoral mandate given to him under the PDP platform.
The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1040/2025, lists Oke as the first defendant, alongside the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the Clerk of the National Assembly; the National Assembly itself; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The PDP is requesting eight specific reliefs, including a court order mandating the Speaker to declare Oke’s seat vacant and instructing INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill the position.
Additionally, the PDP seeks an order restraining the Clerk of the National Assembly from continuing any payments of salaries, allowances, or entitlements to Oke. The party is also asking the court to compel the lawmaker to refund all financial benefits he has received since his defection in April 2025.
Oke’s decision to leave the PDP has sparked mixed reactions in Osun State. While he defended his move as a strategic realignment, many of his former colleagues in the PDP have criticized him for abandoning the party that gave him his platform. Some party stakeholders have described his defection as self-serving and politically motivated, especially after he failed to secure certain leadership positions within the PDP.
This lawsuit adds to the ongoing national conversation about party loyalty, political accountability, and the legal consequences of defection. Similar cases in the past have led to varied outcomes, depending on the evidence presented regarding internal party crises. If successful, the PDP’s case could reinforce party discipline and deter indiscriminate defections by elected officials. On the other hand, if the court rules in Oke’s favor, it may further expose the constitutional loopholes around party switching in Nigeria’s political system.
The political future of Hon. Oke and the representation of Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency now rest in the hands of the judiciary, as the PDP seeks to reclaim what it calls a stolen mandate.
