The End of “Very Soon”

By Comr Olatunji OLORUNFEMI Awokoworldwide 

For years, Arsenal fans survived on one promise: “Very soon.”

Season after season, hope rose and collapsed. Yet loyal supporters stayed faithful through the disappointments, the banter, and the heartbreak. Then suddenly, after 22 long years, victory finally arrived. What once looked impossible became reality because no dominance lasts forever, and every generation eventually demands its own moment.

Politics follows the same pattern.

In 2003, when Hon. Wole Oke first emerged as a member of the House of Representatives, Barr. Pelumi Olajengbesi was still in Senior Secondary School 2. At that time, Wole Oke symbolized political strength, influence, and establishment control across Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency.

But while one man occupied political office for decades, another young man was quietly preparing himself for leadership.

In 2007, while Wole Oke pursued another term in office, Pelumi Olajengbesi was in the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti. In 2011, when Wole secured another return ticket, Pelumi was already studying Law at the University of Abuja. By 2015, while Wole continued in the National Assembly, Pelumi had become a lawyer with a growing reputation for excellence, courage, and public advocacy.

Then came 2019.

For the first time, destiny positioned both men within the same political battlefield under the PDP. But politics intervened. Pelumi Olajengbesi was persuaded to step down in the interest of party calculations and power-sharing arrangements connected to the presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar.

Again in 2023, he stepped aside for party unity and loyalty.

Yet while Pelumi made sacrifices for the party, he continued building something stronger than political office — credibility, competence, and public goodwill.

Today, Barr. Pelumi Olajengbesi is not just a politician. He is a respected legal luminary, a fearless public interest lawyer, a youth advocate, and the founder of one of Nigeria’s prominent law firms in Abuja. Across Nigeria, his voice carries influence. Across Oriade and Obokun, his name inspires hope among young people who desire a new political direction.

And perhaps that rising influence explains recent political developments.

Hon. Wole Oke, after spending years in the PDP, eventually crossed over to the APC where he secured another House of Representatives ticket — potentially seeking a seventh term in office since 2003.

Seven terms.

At some point, a constituency must ask itself difficult questions. Is representation about permanent occupation? Is leadership meant to rotate only within familiar circles while a new generation waits endlessly for opportunity?

There is a Yoruba proverb which says: “Bi ọmọ tuntun bá ti mọ ọwọ́ wẹ̀, á bá àgbà jẹun.” Once a child learns how to wash his hands properly, he should be allowed to dine with elders.

Barr. Pelumi Olajengbesi is no longer the young student watching politics from a distance. He has grown into a man of capacity, exposure, influence, and vision. He has paid his dues intellectually, professionally, socially, and politically.

This is why many people now see the 2027 contest as more than an ordinary election.

It is a battle between the old order and a rising generation.

Wole Oke represents political longevity and established structures. Pelumi Olajengbesi represents fresh energy, modern ideas, youth inclusion, intellectual depth, accessibility, and a renewed connection with the grassroots.

The symbolism is impossible to ignore.

Wole Oke is from Esa-Oke in Obokun Local Government. Barr. Pelumi Olajengbesi is from Ijebu-Jesa — the headquarters of Oriade Local Government and indeed the headquarters of the federal constituency itself.

For many young people, professionals, and ordinary citizens across the constituency, this election represents an opportunity to rewrite the political story of Oriade/Obokun.

History has a strange way of creating defining moments.

When Wole Oke first entered the National Assembly in 2003, Pelumi was still a secondary school student. Today, that same boy has become the credible alternative standing boldly before the political establishment.

Like Arsenal fans who kept saying “very soon,” many supporters of generational change in Oriade/Obokun now believe their own moment has finally arrived.

The truth is simple: no matter how powerful a political structure may appear, the future eventually knocks on the door.

And in 2027, that future may very well bear the name:

Barr. Pelumi Olajengbesi.

Comr Olatunji OLORUNFEMI Awokoworldwide writes from Iloko-ijesa