Ijesa North traditional rulers back Reps ambition

Pelumi Olajengbesi’s bid to represent Oriade and Obokun received a public show of support from the Ijesa North Traditional Rulers’ Council during a town-hall engagement at the council headquarters in Iloko-Jesa in July 2026.

The gathering brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, residents, Olajengbesi and his wife. Public reporting from the event said the council expressed confidence in his ability to represent the constituency effectively in the House of Representatives.

The meeting carried significance beyond a conventional endorsement because traditional institutions remain important centres of community memory, legitimacy and local dialogue across Ijesa North. For a candidate arguing for closer representation, appearing before those institutions also creates an expectation of continued access and accountability.

Olajengbesi’s response framed the support as a responsibility rather than simply a political trophy. That language has since become more central to his 2027 positioning, particularly his argument that leadership begins with understanding the needs, struggles and hopes of the people.

The event also produced some of the strongest visual records of the campaign’s early constituency phase, showing Pelumi in direct conversation with traditional leaders rather than only in formal studio or legal settings.

As ITURA 2027 develops, the July engagement remains an important marker of the point at which the House of Representatives ambition moved visibly from personal aspiration into a wider constituency conversation.