Residents of Ilo-Ijesa in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State have received a 300KVA transformer donated by Pelumi Olajengbesi, the Accord Party candidate for the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the 2027 general elections, following years of unstable electricity supply in the community.
The donation, according to a statement by Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo, spokesperson for the Pelumi Olajengbesi Campaign Organization (POCO), fulfilled a promise the lawyer made during a visit to the community in August.
Olajengbesi had pledged to provide the transformer in October, ahead of the 2027 elections. The intervention comes as residents say they have struggled with unstable electricity and low voltage since 2012.
The transformer was received amid celebrations by community chairman, Mr Dapo Ajakaye, other local leaders, youth groups, women representatives and artisans, who expressed hope that the equipment would improve electricity supply and support economic activities.
Speaking during the presentation, Olajengbesi said his decision was driven by concerns about community development and the welfare of residents, arguing that public infrastructure should reflect the taxes and civic contributions of Nigerians.
“Our people invest so much in this country, they pay taxes, they vote, but what public officials offer does not correspond with the people’s investment,” he said.
The legal practitioner criticised what he described as the diversion of public resources meant for basic amenities, including transformers, solar streetlights and boreholes. He also faulted the situation in which some politicians, according to him, enjoy improved living conditions while the communities they represent struggle with inadequate infrastructure.
“That is not representation, that is wickedness,” he said.
Olajengbesi further called for public resources to be directed towards projects that directly improve people’s lives, rather than activities he described as unnecessary or harmful to community development.
He commended Ajakaye for continuing to seek assistance for the community, describing the chairman as a committed leader who refused to abandon residents despite the challenges.
“I want to thank the chairman for his selflessness. At a time when many leaders collect money and abandon their people, he refused. He kept knocking on every door until help came. We need more leaders like him,” Olajengbesi said.
He also stressed that he had fulfilled the promise before assuming public office, describing the donation as evidence of his commitment to the community.
“I am not yet in office, but I made a promise in August and I have fulfilled it in October. That is the assurance I am giving. I don’t want my people to curse me tomorrow. When I promise, I will do it. This transformer is not a campaign, it is an assurance that a new era of responsible representation is possible,” he added.
Responding on behalf of the residents, Ajakaye thanked Olajengbesi for the intervention, recalling that the community had endured years of unreliable electricity.
“For 14 years, we have been having unstable electricity. When you told us that the transformer would be provided, I thought it was a bluff to earn our votes during the guber election. But you came in August, saw our suffering, and today you have ended our darkness. We have adopted you as our son and our light,” he said.
Residents expressed optimism that the transformer would improve electricity supply and help small businesses, artisans and other local enterprises operate more effectively.
The donation comes as political activities gradually build towards the 2027 general elections, with candidates and political groups engaging communities across Osun State.