POCO Accuses Wole Oke OF Using Speakership Ambition To Woo Obokun/Oriade Voters

The Pelumi Olajengbesi Campaign Organisation (POCO) has accused Hon. Wole Oke of using his alleged ambition to become Speaker of the House of Representatives as a campaign strategy to secure re-election for a sixth term.

The organisation also questioned how the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in Osun State intends to emerge as Speaker in 2027 while President Bola Tinubu, who is also from the Southwest, remains in office.

POCO, in a statement issued on Monday and signed by its spokesperson, Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo, alleged that Oke’s speakership ambition could create a political conflict with Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

The campaign organisation said it had no objection to Oke aspiring to occupy the position but expressed concern over what it described as the contradiction between his ambition and the political considerations surrounding the distribution of principal offices in the National Assembly.

According to POCO, established considerations of zoning, equity and national balance make it difficult for the Southwest to retain both the presidency and the speakership of the House of Representatives.

It therefore questioned whether Oke was prepared to support Tinubu’s re-election while pursuing his own ambition to become Speaker.

“The only way Hon. Wole Oke can become Speaker is to secretly work against President Bola Tinubu and decamp to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after the 2027 general election,” the organisation alleged.

POCO further questioned why the lawmaker was allegedly not campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election, asking whether his political calculations were at variance with the President’s second-term ambition.

It also accused Oke, who recently joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), of using the speakership narrative to attract voters ahead of the next general election.

The organisation expressed reservations about what it described as the circumstances surrounding his entry into the ruling party and the reported automatic ticket he received at the expense of long-standing party members.

POCO also questioned Oke’s legislative record, arguing that his years in the House of Representatives had not translated into the attainment of a principal leadership position.

It stated that the lawmaker had spent eight years in the ruling party and 12 years in the opposition without occupying any principal office in the House.

“Hon. Wole Oke cannot become Speaker. He has spent eight years in the ruling party and twelve years in the opposition, yet he has never held any principal office,” the statement said.

The organisation maintained that its candidate, Pelumi Olajengbesi, was seeking election to provide effective representation and attract development to Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency rather than pursue personal political titles.

It said Olajengbesi’s agenda would focus on youth empowerment through digital technology and vocational skills, support for women-owned businesses and assistance for farmers through agricultural inputs and innovative practices.

POCO said its candidate was committed to restoring effective representation and promoting development across the constituency.

It added that its vision was to “rescue, restore and reset Ijesa North towards prosperity.”

The organisation urged constituents to look beyond political promises and assess candidates based on their capacity to deliver meaningful development and effective representation.