October 26 (THEWILL) – Pretty Okafor has secured his re-election as the president of The Performing Musicians Employers’ Association Of Nigeria (PMAN).
He initially took the helm in October 2016.
PMAN, established in 1984, by late singers, Christy Essien-Igbokwe and Sunny Okosun, exists to steer, shield, and champion the interests of musicians in Nigeria.
Okafor, the PMAN maestro, was once one-half of the dynamic music duo, Junior and Pretty, renowned for their distinctive rap style that ruled the Nigerian music scene in the ’90s.
Sadly, Okechukwu Azike, aka Junior, passed away on February 2, 2005, following injuries sustained in a power bike accident.
Their timeless hits like ‘Monica’ and ‘Bolanle’ from the 1991 album ‘Fufu Flavour’ still resonate in musical memory.
Okafor, who faced no opposition, clinched victory with an undisputed 50 votes, as declared by the electoral chairman during PMAN’s national conference in Lagos State.
The reelected lineup includes Sunny Neji as the 1st Vice President, Zaaki Azzay as 2nd Vice President, Baba J.F.O as Treasurer, Michael Stevens (Ruggedman) as Chairman of the Media Committee Ex officio, Boniface Itodo (Aitabonny) as the General Secretary, and Fada Bem Paul (Bempee) as the Assistant General Secretary.
Okafor and his team are set to embark on another four-year term as PMAN’s national executives.
Additionally, drummer, Lola Olamuyiwa aka Ara Queen of Drums, officially assumed office as the new governor of PMAN in Lagos State.
In his acceptance speech post-election, Okafor revealed that he initially had no intention to seek reelection as PMAN President. However, a change of heart occurred when five state chapters collectively purchased a form for him, insisting that he must run for another term.
He said, “The whole thing became an issue when I resisted the pressure to run, and more so when the General Secretary told them that I have since submitted documents that I was not going to re-contest. The reason for this is that my business is growing, and I need time to pay more attention to it.
‘‘But when I found out that members were almost fighting each other to make me re-contest, I decided to put my business aside, believing that the interest of PMAN was more significant than my interest. When it was time for the election, all the state chapters’ chairmen practically dragged me into the hall; some were even in tears, and they refused to sit down until I announced my decision to re-contest.”
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