Finally, the presidential election has come and
gone with some people in celebration mood while
some others went home sulking and licking their
wounds.
The people who may likely be saddened with the
development are certainly Nollywood actors
because most of them massively supported
President Goodluck Jonathan in his second term
bid.
At every opportunity they got, be it on social
media or even on TV adverts, the actors didn’t
fail to sing the praises of the president who,
according to them, had imparted on their
industry.
And since the last election didn’t favour their
desired candidate, Saturday Beats asked some of
them if they regretted the choice they made and
most of them claimed they didn’t.
Actress Omoni Oboli, who may be regarded as a
personal friend of the President as she showed
her movie, Being Mrs. Elliot, in Aso Rock, said
she has no single regret for voting Jonathan.
“I can never regret anything I do. I stood for
what I believe in, not because of financial gain.
At the end of the day, the victory goes to
Nigeria. This election showed true democracy
and I am proud of the man that I supported. He
is a hero. He conceded graciously and that is the
trait of a true leader. This is democracy and
nobody should work against me because I
supported Jonathan.”
Ace movie director, Lancelot Imasuen, who
before now had not hidden the fact that
Jonathan was his favoured candidate, said he
would rather keep his opinion about the election
to himself.
“It is just that I want to use the opportunity to
celebrate President Goodluck Jonathan for his
uprightness. If a man that has been tagged as
weak and clueless demonstrated something we
thought was almost impossible in Nigeria, I
eternally want to celebrate him. I will never
regret campaigning for Jonathan and if this
election is done again, I will still campaign for
him. Why would I regret supporting him? I was
not coerced or bribed into it. I was not given
money, I was convinced and I still stand by my
conviction. If that would make me face the
international court, I am ready to face it. While
supporting Jonathan, I did not kill anybody; I
was only using the word of mouth to convince
people.”
Former Actors’ Guild of Nigeria president, Segun
Arinze is another person who has dined and
wined with the President on so many occasions.
Of course, he is an ardent Jonathan supporter.
He said, “I stood for what I believed in and if I
had the opportunity, I would do it all over again.
I do not ever regret campaigning for Jonathan. If
I believed in Buhari, I would have done the same
thing. I wish him all the best and hope he would
take the country to a better place. It is no longer
about Buhari or Goodluck but about Nigeria. I
am not a card carrying member of PDP; I
supported the President because I believed he
has done well for my industry and Nigeria as a
whole. I am a Nigerian and I have every right to
the freedom of expression. Being silent would be
foolhardy on my part. In 2011, I was
campaigning for Fashola, why was I not silent at
that time? We are all Nigerians and I don’t think
Buhari would victimise me because I supported
Jonathan.”
Fidelis Duker, veteran filmmaker, is an avid
supporter of Jonathan to the extent that he
would even go to Otuoke, Bayelsa Sate for his
welcome home party.
“I can never regret supporting President Goodluck
Jonathan. When he is having a welcome party at
Otuoke, I will be there with him. He has done
very well and I am still very proud of him. It has
never happened in the history of Nigeria where
an incumbent will lose and he will walk away.”
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