February 06, (THEWILL) – A little over a year after veteran Yoruba actor, Ebun Oloyede, aka Olaiya Igwe, went naked in a campaign video for President Bola Tinubu, he has followed Kwam 1’s footsteps, decrying the level of hardship in the country.
The 66-year-old, who is an avid supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a video on his official YouTube page, called on the President to heed the people’s cries.
On December 3, 2022, the Ogun State indigene prayed for Tinubu’s victory stark naked at an undisclosed beach and uploaded the controversial video on his Instagram.
The video showed him from behind, turning around for a headshot while praying for Tinubu’s success.
After the nude video went viral, Mr Olaiya explained his actions in an interview on the breakfast program ‘Your View’ aired on Television Continental, attributing them to divine instructions.
He said: “The citizens are crying and wailing; that’s why everybody is angry, even Nigerians in the diaspora are not happy with the current situation in the country.
“I want to talk to our father, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Citizens are crying because their expectations from you were not met. I know you’re trying, but the people in your cabinet do not allow your efforts to show.
“I understand your efforts, but those around you hindered your progress. You’re partly responsible because you didn’t carefully select them. They lack professionalism. You have a keen eye for talent, otherwise, you wouldn’t have appointed Wike to lead in Abuja, where he’s achieving great things.”
The actor maintained that although he doesn’t regret campaigning for Tinubu, he urged him to address the widespread hunger in the land as well as the absence of positive expectations Nigerians are expecting from him.
Furthermore, the Ogun-born actor appealed to the President to establish a monitoring team to oversee some of his projects meant to alleviate poverty and reduce hardship for Nigerians.
Olaiya noted that the diversion of palliative funds, intended to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal, was due to a lack of a monitoring team.
He suggested that the President’s children should lead the team, noting their vested interest in the success of his government.
Olaiya alleged that not all of Tinubu’s appointees are committed to his success; some have ulterior motives.
He argued that past Presidents failed due to the absence of effective monitoring teams overseeing projects.
He said: “I implore you to establish a monitoring team, led by either your son or daughter, to oversee national operations diligently. It’s imperative to supervise the allocation of resources across all sectors, as things rarely go as planned without oversight. Remember the embezzlement with the palliative distribution; trusting solely in youth led to mismanagement. Despite potential bribery within the monitoring team, discreet supervisors can ensure effective execution.
“Failure to act may result in shared consequences, as evident from the curses we both receive. Recognise that while not everyone around you is corrupt, many are. It’s time to prioritise competence over political affiliations, replacing unfit appointees. Rather than resorting to cursing, let’s offer prayers for accountability. Many, like myself, prayed for Tinubu’s success without expecting personal gain.”
He added that he had been faced with criticism, curses and abuse since he went naked to campaign for the President, especially now that the country’s situation has worsened under Tinubu’s led administration.
The actor, who apologised to Nigerians for misleading them to vote for Tinubu by going naked, clarified that he harbours no anger against those cursing him.
He added that such consequences were foreseeable given his actions and popularity and attributed the curses to the economy, insecurity, and hardship currently facing the country.
According to him, his naked prayer at the beach was not to seek an appointment but rather a gesture of gratitude for saving his life during a health crisis.
He added that the backlash and curses come from individuals and groups not affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and those with personal vendettas against him.
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