Pelumi Olajengbesi, the Accord Party Candidate for Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, has appealed for calm following reports that serving lawmaker, Hon. Wole Oke was booed during a political outing in Iloko-Ijesa.
Olajengbesi, in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday morning, said reports indicated that Hon. Oke, who is seeking a seventh term in the House of Representatives, faced public hostility at a gathering where voters were allegedly asked to swear an oath to vote for him in exchange for ₦10,000 each.
According to Olajengbesi, the Iloko-Ijesa incident reportedly marks the third time in two weeks that the lawmaker has faced hostile reception in communities within the constituency.
While acknowledging public dissatisfaction, Olajengbesi condemned the act of publicly humiliating the lawmaker, describing it as a troubling development that must not become the norm.
“While I acknowledge the dissatisfaction and disappointment of our people, publicly humiliating a political figure like Wole Oke is not the right approach. The reported hostile receptions confronting the Honorable Member across communities must be discouraged,” he said.
The legal practitioner urged constituents to channel their grievances into peaceful political mobilization rather than confrontation.
“However we feel about poor performance or a leader’s prolonged stay in office, the ballot remains the proper means of removing a leader whose time we believe is up. Let us channel our dissatisfaction into peaceful mobilisation and express our judgment on Election Day,” Olajengbesi added.
He stressed that while the people have every right to question the incumbent’s record and performance over the years, such demands for accountability must remain within the ambit of the law.
“Hon. Wole Oke, like every candidate, should be free to campaign in our communities. Our people must equally be free to listen, ask difficult questions, withhold support, and vote according to their conscience,” he stated.
Olajengbesi concluded with an appeal for unity, noting that Ijesa North remains a shared home where residents will remain neighbors and family long after the election.
“Ijesa North is our shared home. Long after this election, we will remain neighbors, friends, and family. No political ambition should undermine the peace and dignity of our communities,” he said.