Busayo Oluwole Oke at 58: A Tribute to the Arole of Bola Ige - By Sulayman Nafiu

Esa-Oke, a serene town in present-day Osun State, first captured my attention on a tragic day in 2001—the day Chief Bola Ige was assassinated. As a former Governor of old Oyo State and Nigeria’s Attorney General, his legacy left an enduring imprint on Nigeria’s political and intellectual landscape. I still recall the somber news coverage of his remains being taken from Ibadan to Esa-Oke, a moment etched forever in my memory.

That same period introduced me to another towering figure Professor Wole Soyinka, whose presence I would later encounter in person during my postgraduate days at the University of Ibadan. Like much of Ijesaland, Esa-Oke has given Nigeria many distinguished sons: Dr. Edward Omotoso, a former senior official at the UN and OPEC, and Chief Dosu Fatokun, among others.

Among these eminent personalities is Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke, a household name in Osun politics and Nigeria’s longest-serving House of Representatives member for Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency. Over the years, he has built a reputation as a committed public servant and a trailblazing education entrepreneur. Much like statesmen such as Churchill, Villiers, Heath, and Knollys, whose lengthy tenures were marked by impact and influence, Wole Oke’s legislative journey is a testament to consistent public trust and principled service.

Though we belong to different political parties, until recently, he was of the PDP while I am in the APC, our paths indirectly intersected when my Centre, the El-Mavericky Centre for Educational Research and Development, collaborated with the Faculty of Social Sciences at Obafemi Awolowo University to honor him with a Personality Lecture.

It was on April 16, 2025, that I received news of his resignation from the PDP via WhatsApp from Alhaji Adekunbi Tajudeen Alabi, fondly called “Orji,” a political grassroots force from Iwo. My response was simple: “Wow.” The news, as I later confirmed, was true and it reverberated widely.

Even before his exit, Hon. Oke’s admiration for President Bola Tinubu was an open secret. He, like many others, appreciates the new direction of governance under Tinubu’s leadership. In fact, it’s no longer far-fetched to imagine that Governor Ademola Adeleke may also be preparing to align with APC ahead of Osun's 2026 governorship election.

What surprised me most was the venom from some PDP loyalists attacking Oke’s defection, forgetting his significant sacrifices and financial commitment to the party during its 12-year wilderness in Osun. His departure, I believe, could become a political blessing for the APC.

Yesterday, on his 58th birthday, a picture of him holding the APC constitution caught my attention. It triggered a question in my mind: Could Busayo Oluwole Oke be the modern-day Arole Bola Ige from Esa-Oke?

In the aftermath of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s death in 1987, Professor Lai Olurode once remarked that the identity of Awo’s political heir would emerge with time. Many came to see Bola Ige as that heir. And now, perhaps, Wole Oke is stepping into a similar role for Ige.

Just yesterday, I had a 30-minute video call with Senator Sunday Fajinmi. We discussed the origins of the Alliance for Democracy, the meetings in Ijebu Igbo at Senator Abraham Adesanya’s residence, Bola Ige’s influence, and what the future holds for Osun politics in 2026. I didn’t plan to write this reflection, but the conversation inspired it.

Hon. Oke’s political philosophy resonates deeply with progressive ideals, especially those rooted in people-focused governance. Like the Yoruba say, “Eko funfun ma n jade ninu ikoko dudu”—purity can emerge from unlikely vessels. His track record in human development—constituency projects, women’s empowerment, and scholarships—is well documented. His grassroots interventions mirror Chief Awolowo’s free education campaign of 1955.

His deep love for Esa-Oke