Why FUNKE AKINDELE Couldn’t Mobilise Movie Stars

…To Support JANDOR’s Campaign In LAGOS

Have you wondered why both members of the Yoruba movie industry and their  English speaking colleagues have not supported  the Jandor/Akindele Guber campaign? Have you wondered why many of the Movie Stars and Veterans have not come out to support Jandor. We would tell you when the news broke last year that popular actress, Funke Akindele had been picked as the running mate to Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adeniran aka Jandor of the PDP, many were shocked.

This is because, asides from being an actress, she has never been known to dabble into Politics. She has no political base and neither does she have any political antecedent. So, why then was she given the deputy governorship candidate to Jandor?

Facts began to emerge later as to why the Lagos PDP picked her. Jandor himself explained that it was because of Funke Akindele’s huge following in the industry and  on Instagram that she was picked to be his running mate. She is said to have over a million followers which the PDP was hoping Funke would be able to galvanise and transform into votes for the PDP. But things have not been working that way.

To begin with, many of the followers of Funke Akindele are young ladies who simply cannot be bothered about who becomes the next governor of Lagos. They are just not interested in politics. Many of these ladies didn’t even bother to register. They don’t have PVCs. They simply cannot break their nicely made finger nails to do thumb printing for the BVAS, neither do they want to stay on a long and endless queue in the sun with their expensive hair and make up. They will rather stay back at home, chilling in the house with their favourite Neflix movies while the election is going on. It’s only the male fans of these celebrities that have showed strong interest in politics. Another problem has  been her colleagues in the industry, they have also totally ignored her.

It didn’t come as a shock to many that most movie stars have distanced themselves from the political ambition of Funke Akindele.

Expectedly, one would think that a good number of movie stars would have been posting Funke Akindele on their Instagram pages, campaigning for her, or even organising a walk in support of one of their own. It is a surprise that nothing like that has happened. Instead, majority of them have pitched their tents with the ruling party in Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC).

The multi-talented actress stands alone in her campaign without any help from her industry. She is not the first movie star to venture into politics. Stars such as Desmond Elliot, Banky W, and a few others have also gone into politics, and didn’t get enough support from the industry either.

Why Funke Akindele’s case is now a topic? One, she is from the Yoruba genre of the industry. Now, she rarely features in Yoruba movies. She concentrates only on her personal projects and English genre movies.

City People learnt that the competition among the movie stars would not allow them support one another’s political ambitions. Everybody wants to be on top, so supporting just one person to get to the top is too much of a risk for them. Besides, most of them depend on politicians for survival. To now go against politicians is too much a risk for the stars.

Observers noted that Funke Akindele has always been a lone minder, who doesn’t keep friends in  the industry. Whatever relationship she has with anyone in the industry is purely professional.

She doesn’t associate with most of her colleagues, especially those in Yoruba genre of the industry. She hardly attends their events. She doesn’t invite them to hers either.

She is a product of Odunfa Caucus, an association which is rated strongest in the Yoruba movie industry, Odunfa Caucus’s endorsement alone would have helped boost her political ambition, but regrettably, members of the caucus have kept mute on her issue.

She doesn’t attend their events or associate with them. Even when the founders are celebrating birthdays, she doesn’t honour them with her presence.

Though, it was learnt that she often reaches out to her colleagues in times of trouble and supports them financially.

For example, she contributed to Kemi Afolabi’s fund for treatment.

She took care and paid medical bills of Bimbo Success, when she was sick, and so many others.

A reliable source disclosed that the Yoruba movie industry could not support Funke, because of MC Oluomo’s influence in the industry.

MC Oluomo is like a god father to many in the Yoruba movie industry. He has been of great help to about 85 percent of stars in the industry. They often run to Oluomo in times of trouble, and he has never turned them down.

He supports them financially for their movie launch and other ceremonies, so they couldn’t go against him just to support Funke Akindele.

It was a lso revealed that Lagos is an APC state, and the probability of another party winning the governorship election in the state is going to be a big war. That is why going against APC in Lagos is like putting the whole TAMPAN body in trouble.

Another source revealed that the APC government has always carried the movie stars along in government’s programmes, especially the Yoruba movie stars. That is why movie stars have shown their support to the party.

During the burial of the late Moji Olaiya, it was Tinubu, who took care of the bill to bring her corpse back to Nigeria and giving her a beffiting burial. Immediately the association visited Tinubu and told him about their plight, he pronto gave them all the money they needed for the burial.

Also, when star actress, Ngozi Nwosu, was down with sickness, it was the APC government in Lagos that rescued her. Fashola paid her medical bills.

Olaiya Igwe also got financial support from APC government. A few months ago, when Kemi Afolabi needed financial assistance to travel abroad for treatment, MC Oluomo contributed his quota.

Besides, a few months ago, APC government gave Iya Awero a house in Lagos.

The movie stars would rather consider what would benefit them first, instead of fighting for what may eventually destroy them. In this instance, everybody has to carry his/her cross.