In a recent book authored by Gebru Asrat, a veteran TPLF leader who took part in the creation of OPDO said that the TPLF had to resort to its ethnic Oromo speaking war captives from the Derg's military to recruit members for the organization as Oromos living abroad, including those refugees in the Sudan and the wider Oromo diaspora in North America and Europe rejected TPLF's call to join the organization to be formed anew.

At first a weak organization, according to Paul B. Henze, the OPDO attracted defectors from Derg military units and gained supporters when in 1991 the EPRDF occupied parts of the provinces of Wollo and Shewa, both of which had significant Oromo majorities.

Major-General Abadula Gemeda at the time resigned from his position in the Ethiopian National Defense Force and took control of the entroubled OPDO.

The Muslim Oromos expressed their discontent during the 2005 Ethiopian general election, denouncing the other side for participating in nepotism.

[9] The OPDO changed its name to the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) on its annual meeting held on 20 September 2018 in Jimma.