Veteran Nollywood actor Fatai Adetayo, popularly known as Lalude, has spoken out with deep pain and disappointment, accusing the political campaign teams of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of using and abandoning him and several other Yoruba actors during the 2023 general elections.
In an emotional interview on Behind the Fame, Lalude revealed that he and his colleagues campaigned tirelessly for Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu for over one month and three weeks—only to be sidelined without recognition or compensation once the elections were over.
“We gave our time, our voices, and our faces to the campaign. We were out there every day, yet when it was all over, we didn’t get a kobo. Nothing. Is that fair?” he said.
Lalude explained that during the campaign, they were paid ₦10,000 per day for feeding, a token he believes was a mere fraction of what was budgeted for their services. Still, they found ways to support each other. According to him, the younger actors decided to pool their daily ₦10,000 allowance and rotate it among themselves to ease financial burdens.
But that decision didn’t sit well with the organisers. Lalude said as soon as the campaign team noticed this act of unity and survival, the daily payment was suddenly suspended for two to three days without explanation.
“We weren’t just campaigning. We were managing ourselves with next to nothing. But when they noticed we were helping each other, they stopped even that,” he recalled.
He pointed fingers at Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, the head of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who allegedly coordinated their involvement. Lalude said MC Oluomo personally promised him and fellow actor Alapini that they would be paid. They were even asked to name what they wanted and were told that someone would meet them the following Thursday with their payment.
But till date, nothing.
“He told us to ask for anything we wanted. He called someone and promised they would meet us. That person never came. We have not seen a kobo since,” Lalude said.
Frustrated and clearly heartbroken, Lalude didn’t hold back his anger. He openly invoked traditional Yoruba curses on those who, he believes, benefited from their labour but refused to honour the agreement.
“Whoever has withheld our due will not enjoy the fruits of their own labour. They will suffer the consequences—because our sweat, our sacrifice, was not for jokes,” he said bitterly.
The veteran actor’s revelation has triggered online debates around how celebrities are engaged for political campaigns in Nigeria—only to be ignored once the political dust settles.
Lalude’s story isn’t just about unpaid dues. It’s a reflection of a deeper issue: the exploitation of trust, loyalty, and labour by political players who value influence over integrity.
