A columnist and public affairs analyst, Comrade James Onifade, has lambasted Nollywood actor, Laide Olabanji, over his comment on Osun politics, describing it as the joke of the century.
Comrade Onifade stated that Osun politics is not a movie set and Olabanji cannot write a script and assign roles to the electorate.
Reacting to Olabanji’s claim that Osun voters will deliberately reject President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the poll and embrace Peter Obi, Onifade said such assertion is merely his personal wish and not the collective position of Osun voters.
According to him, “Your claim that Osun voters will deliberately reject President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the poll and embrace Peter Obi is merely your personal wish. Packaging such speculation as the collective position of Osun voters is laughable and misleading. Democracy is not determined by the loudest voice on social media or the most dramatic declaration by a celebrity. It is determined by the people at the ballot box.”
Onifade noted that being an artist and a Nollywood actor does not mean Olabanji understands how the political game is played, adding that he is an entertainer and not a political strategist.
He questioned how Peter Obi came into the picture of Osun politics, stressing that Peter Obi is far from the table as far as the political reality and political equation of Osun State is concerned.
“Osun has its own political dynamics, its own structure, and its own leadership direction. So how does Peter Obi come to the table in Osun State? It beats every reasonable imagination,” he queried.
Onifade further maintained that there is no confusion in Osun, stating that the people have made up their minds to vote massively for the Accord Party from the Senate to the House of Representatives and down to the State House of Assembly.
He clarified that even though Governor Ademola Adeleke has publicly thrown his weight behind the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it does not translate into automatic penetration for any other party nor does it affect the chances of Accord candidates.
“The vote in Osun will be massively for Accord – from Senate to House of Representatives to the State Assembly. As for the presidency, the vote will be channeled based on his directive and the electoral will of the people. The people are voting for continuity, for the progress, stability and development enjoyed under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Nurudeen Ademola Jackson Adeleke,” Onifade stated.
He concluded that Osun politics is not a movie set and the people are not extras in Olabanji’s production, advising him to keep his opinion to himself until he has verifiable facts.
