Veteran actor and former president of the Theatre Arts and Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Dele Odule, has shed light on the circumstances that led to the formation of TAMPAN after a split from the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (ANTP). In an exclusive interview with City People magazine, Dele Odule explained the internal conflicts, legal battles, and personal sacrifices that ultimately pushed him and others to form a new association. He also shares his thoughts on his tenure as the first president of TAMPAN,his vision for the association and the challenges it still faces.
“There wouldn’t have been anything like TAMPAN if not for the constant litigation, day after day, orchestrated by one of us, to be precise, Comrade Victor Ashaolu. He has been a terror to almost everybody. I decided to confront him and asked, “What’s wrong with this guy now? How could you be undermining all these people just because you had the opportunity to go to the university and study Theater?” He has a diploma in Theater Arts and was using that as a yardstick to deal with people. So, I confronted him, but unfortunately, what broke the association was the last litigation we had. We were in court for about three and a half years. We had one case that lasted about nine years, and the other one was for three and a half years. The case wasn’t favourable. The High Court Judge then ruled in favour of Ashaolu, and I said I would appeal. I funded at least 80% of the court appeal—people can testify to that. I spent almost all my fortune because 80% of the money spent during that last litigation came from me.
When the case didn’t go in our favour, the lawyer suggested, “If you have the majority, why don’t you just opt out and start another association? This man cannot continue to hold you to ransom.” That’s how we walked out, but we didn’t expect people to follow us. They just decided to, and that’s how ANTP metamorphosed. Most of those who were in ANTP are the people in TAMPAN today. So, after the split, we decided to form a new association. We first looked for people to steer the association, like a steering committee, to handle the registration. We searched for those who could be the Board of Trustees and then organized an election. After the election, I was unanimously and unopposed, elected as the first president of the association. I believe it was a show of solidarity. It was like, “This guy has been struggling to liberate people. We just have to consider him.”
How do you feel about it, coming from all the battles that you’ve had?
“I just feel it’s one of those things you face if you really want to be relevant. There are certain challenges you have to go through, and those are the ones I’ve faced. So, I don’t see it as a big deal. The only big deal is, this is not the kind of TAMPAN I envisioned. When I got there, people were clamouring for me to run for a second term, but I said no. It’s not all about being called “President.” I thought I had set up a structure and a template that others could build on. My first four years were about structuring the association. I thought the next person would build on that, but I haven’t seen anything meaningful yet. I expected we would have gone further by now. The strength of our membership is our power, and I think we should have leveraged that to have progressed much further than we are today.”
Promise Babatunde
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