Gboyega Alaka takes a look at the new trend of artistes open romance and endorsement of politicians and political parties.
Between the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1), it may be difficult to determined who braced the trail in publicly endorsing and waxing records for politicians during campaigns. Both fuji musicians waxed an album each for the then Lagos state governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the countdown to his second term campaign in 2003. Since then, KWAM1 especially has pitched his support wherever the Lagos political juggernaut pitched his tent, although he somehow took it too far in 2007, when he also publicly sang support songs for the opposition Musiliu Obanikoro and was publicly condemned.
No thanks to the cold hands of death, we can never tell if Barrister himself would have gone the same way, although it is important to note here that Barrister never publicly supported any politician or party during the second republic, when he was at the peak of his stardom. The best, he and his contemporary, Kollington Ayinla did was to celebrate positive government policies from time to time, and condemn dereliction in government, whenever the need arose.
Even their precursors in the hi-life and other genres like Sir Victor Olaiya, Eddie Okonta, Sir Victor Uwaifo, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and the late Sonny Okosun hardly dabbled into politics, as they felt safe outside partisan politics. That way, they also were never consumed by the passion that usually followed.
The story is however different today. With that flag-off by the fuji musicians, D-banj, openly romanced and flocked around the then ‘breath of fresh air, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, as he campaigned for election, after seeing through his late boss’ tenure. The fracas that heralded his assuming the mantle of leadership after the Late Umaru Yar’adua’s death also threw up lots of supporters for Jonathan. Chief amongst them were pop singer, Onyeka Onwenu, Sammy Okposo, and Nollywood actors like Chidi Mokeme, Kate Hensahw-Nuttal et al.
Justifiable, their advent was to enforce the constitution, which was then being undermined, as a few cabal seemed hell-bent on preventing Jonathan from becoming president after his principal’s death. But somehow, it seems they have had a taste or the juicy apple, and like the biblical progenitors of mankind, their eyes had become opened to the sweetness inherent in flocking with power politicians.
To mention a few, Onyeka Onwenu has reaped from that open support for President Jonathan, as she was subsequently appointed Executive Director/CEO of National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), a federal government agency with office in Abuja. Some artistes of Nollywood extraction have also begun enjoying the ‘fruit of their labour,’ as the president’s largesse purportedly for the development of Nollywood has started trickling to them. Never mind the widespread complaint that accessing the loan is tantamount to the proverbial camel passing through a needle’s eye.
But while the romance and bias for politicians have largely been sublimated by the artistes in the past, such is no longer the case, as they now come out in droves to sing in adverts, mount podiums with politicians and follow their campaign train all over the country.
Many have also wondered why they have suddenly thrown cautions to the wind. Could it be because of the sudden boost in the music and movies industry that has thrown up multiple stars and pseudo-stars? Could it be a case of too many artistes looking to make a living and the politicians simply catching in on a cheap opportunity? Never before has Nigeria boasted of so many celebrities, who also enjoy huge followership across the nation’s demography.
Many have also wondered at how safe this adventure is for the artistes? Would it not impact on their followership if it turned out that they had jumped on the wrong train? What happens if the camp they log on to loses out and they also lose out of big shows and concerts that may subsequently emanate from the government in power?
Ganiyu Olowu, a public relations practitioner with Lagos-based PR Redline says it is not a crime for artistes to openly endorse or show support for politicians or political parties, since no law forbids them in this regard. “To start with, there is no universal rule that prevents celebrities, sportsmen and women, actor and actresses and musicians from endorsing political parties or politicians of their choice.”
What he however considers dangerous for their professional existence is the fact that they may be toying with the emotions of their huge followership, which may in turn have dire consequences for their careers.
Olowu again speaks: “In brand building, you don’t toy with your huge followership by hurting their feeling with either religion or politics. This trend I must observe is dangerous and many of them may not gain their followers back after the jamboree.”
This may thus explain why older artistes have chosen wisely to stand aloof, when it comes to partisan politics. Even the late Ayinde barrister only joined the fray in the twilight of his career, when he probably thought it was safe.
Wasiu Ayinde however makes no excuses for his partisanship, declaring unequivocally in an interview in another medium that “Majority of the people are not truly enjoying good governance and we should not shut our mouth to this.”
He Nigeria is not enjoying the benefit of good governance, and said that his encounters with Nigerians abroad have shown that this is the main reason Nigerians have been moving out of the country in droves in the last 30 years. He also disclosed that his involvement in politics is not new and that he has always been involved in partisan politics and is thus not afraid of any consequences. He also revealed in that interview that he has been a party member for a long time, and was even voted as an executive of the youth wing of a party in Nigeria as a 17-year old.
This response may however not suffice with some people, who have already concluded that the fuji star has been smiling to the bank all the way. Some even say that he gets paid as much of five million naira for every APC show or record he waxes.
Kwam1’s response to that allegation however is that he is blessed with his job and that as a 58 year-old, he does not need to be financially induced to take a position in the political dispensation, as a Nigerian.
However, while it might be said that people like KWAM1 have reached the climax of their career and therefore have no reason to be scared, this may not be said of the younger stars, as they or their careers may be consumed in the fallout, should their favourite party or candidate lose out.
Ganiyu Olowu again responds to this danger, “The day a Musician or Sportsman becomes an icon that is loved and cherished by cult of followers, he or she must not think like a faceless citizen. His destiny is hung to the neck of his followers. So he must not equally toy with the mutual love by declaring open relationship with a particular politician or political party.”
Indeed, some say this was why, people like Eedris Abdulkareem lost out in many corporate and government shows after his ‘Nigeria jagajaga” song, while artistes like Tony Tetuila reaped massively with his song, E go beta.’
Recall also that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had to personally express his anger and distaste for the ‘jagajaga’ song, saying it was most unpatriotic and irresponsible to so refer to your own country.
It is on the backdrop of this that artistes need to beware of what might be their portion the morning after.
