Bisi Ilaka, a former Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party.
He announced his decision in a letter dated February 10 and addressed to the PDP chairman of Ward 5 in Oyi East Local Government Area. The resignation became public on Thursday in Ibadan, the state capital.
Ilaka, who served as Makinde’s first Chief of Staff after the governor assumed office on May 29, 2019, said he was stepping away from the party with appreciation for the roles he was allowed to play.
He thanked the PDP for giving him the platform to serve both at the state and national levels during his time as a member.
He held the position of Chief of Staff until 2021 when he was replaced by Segun Ogunwuyi in July of that year. Ogunwuyi later returned to the same role after the 2023 election for a second term in office.
In his letter, Ilaka expressed gratitude to the party leadership and members for their support over the years. He did not state his next political move or whether he plans to join another party.
His exit adds to recent changes within the PDP in Oyo State. In October 2025, former Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Agboola Ayoola, also left the party. Ayoola, who represented Oyo North Senatorial District from 2011 to 2015, ended his long association with the PDP through a formal letter.
Ayoola previously served as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under former governors Rashidi Ladoja and the late Adebayo Alao-Akala between 2003 and 2011.
He was the only PDP senator elected from the South-West during his tenure in the National Assembly.
Ilaka’s resignation comes at a time when political activities are gradually building ahead of future elections, with parties experiencing shifts in membership across different states.