The spokesperson for the Pelumi Olajengbesi Campaign Organisation (POCO), Sodiq Lawal, popularly known as Chocomilo, has said the candidate’s experience of hardship before becoming established has inspired his commitment to empowering unemployed youths and supporting struggling residents of Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency.
Chocomilo said Olajengbesi, a lawyer and Accord Party candidate for the House of Representatives ahead of the 2027 general election, understands the challenges facing young people because he experienced similar difficulties.
Chocomilo made this known during an appearance on Oro Oselu, a political programme on TIMSED 94.7 FM, where he discussed the candidate’s ambition, the campaign council and its proposed 10-point agenda.
Explaining why he believed Olajengbesi deserved the support of young people, Chocomilo said the candidate’s personal journey had shaped his determination to help those struggling to become financially independent.
“Pelumi has been through that struggle. There is nothing you can be narrating him; he has already experienced the struggle before God uplifted him with human beings,” he said.
Chocomilo said many young people in the constituency had acquired vocational skills but lacked the financial assistance and opportunities needed to establish businesses and earn a living.
“Reason everyone needs to support Pelumi is that we have many youths that are unemployed. Someone will have handiwork but no one to support them,” he said.
He said the campaign’s proposed 10-point agenda would prioritise youth empowerment through vocational training, financial assistance and monitoring to ensure beneficiaries could establish sustainable livelihoods.
“We will not be like some people who will teach them without empowering them. We will empower them and monitor them,” Chocomilo said.
He explained that the proposed approach was intended to address the gap between acquiring skills and earning a living from them, arguing that training without the resources to start a business would do little to resolve unemployment.
Chocomilo added that the campaign intended to connect educated youths with institutions and organisations that could help them access employment and professional opportunities.
He also claimed that Olajengbesi had supported aspiring lawyers, young people pursuing vocational training and some individuals seeking opportunities abroad before declaring his political ambition.
According to Chocomilo, the candidate had continued to provide financial assistance to people despite not holding an elected position, which he cited as evidence of his commitment to improving residents’ lives.
He said the proposed agenda would also include bursary support for students in Oriade and Obokun local government areas.
On agriculture, Chocomilo described Ijesa North as an agrarian area and said the campaign intended to improve farmers’ access to agricultural inputs, farming knowledge and technology.
He said the proposed programme would ensure that fertilisers reached farmers directly rather than being distributed through political intermediaries.
“We will not give the fertilisers to politicians but to farmers directly,” he said.
Chocomilo added that the campaign intended to make farming more attractive by helping farmers improve their production methods and connecting cocoa producers with buyers to ease the sale of their produce.
“We will make farming attractive. We will connect them with those who will make their cocoa selling easy,” he said.
He also said the campaign would explore the establishment of an agricultural processing facility to improve the value of locally produced crops and create more economic opportunities within the agricultural value chain.
On healthcare, Chocomilo said the campaign’s proposed agenda would address primary healthcare services and provide assistance for residents requiring surgical procedures, including cataract operations.
“We will make sure our primary healthcare is okay. We will make sure we do regular surgeries,” he said.
He did not specify the number of people expected to benefit from the proposed medical interventions or how they would be funded.
Chocomilo also promised that the campaign would prioritise functional infrastructure, arguing that public projects should be assessed by their usefulness to residents rather than the number constructed.
“Our own will not be like those that erected 10 boreholes but two are working,” he said.
He criticised what he described as inadequate development in the constituency over the past two decades, saying residents wanted leadership that would address their needs and improve access to basic services.
“People sat down and said they can’t continue like this. People have already suffered for 20 years,” he said.
Chocomilo claimed that Olajengbesi had attracted support from residents of Esa-Oke, Ipetu-Ile and other surrounding communities through his previous interventions and engagement with young people and women.
He expressed confidence in the candidate’s chances in the 2027 election, arguing that electoral success depended not only on campaign strategy but also on a candidate’s relationship with the electorate.
“Politics is not about strategy alone; people must love you,” he said.
Chocomilo urged residents to support Olajengbesi, repeating the campaign’s slogans, “Let’s rescue,” “Let’s restore” and “We must reset it.”
