Ahead of April 11 governorship and states’ House of Assembly
election, award-winning actor and filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan,
has joined a long train of artistes that have endorsed the
candidacy of the All Progressive Congress governorship
candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.
While the likes of MI, Flavour, Banky W, Yemi Alade, Ice prince,
Desmond Elliot and Ali Nuhu have been part of various
productions selling Ambode’s candidacy, Afolayan’s
endorsement is coming through a new commercial in Yoruba
language, in which he uses footage from “Ija Ominira”, the
popular movie shot in 1978 by his late father, Adeyemi
Afolayan (Ade Love).
Described by the Ambode Campaign Organisation as a ‘smash
hit’ production and is a blast from the past mixed with
contemporary reality, the 60-second production uses the goje
musical instrument together with the traditional chant of
Ajobiewe, the talented actor and poet, to spice up the creative
appearance he made with his father, who passed on in 1992.
The message in the production is simple: Lagos is working
because it has built on the solid foundation laid since 1999
and, therefore, deserves to continue with that tradition of
excellence by having an astute administrator who understands
governance succeed the incumbent Governor Babatunde
Fashola, SAN.
Afolayan’s production joins the rich list of quality television
commercials and artistes who have enlisted to use the
creative arts to drum up support for Ambode’s candidacy.
Popular TV commercial, “I Believe”, and the “Ambo”
soundtrack, featuring the best of Nigeria’s music and film
artistes including MI, Flavour and Banky, are widely
acknowledged to have distinguished Ambode’s campaign in
the last four months.
Meanwhile, Ambode has said that the emergence of General
Muhammadu Buhari as the President-elect portends good
omen for the development of arts, entertainment and tourism
in Nigeria. Speaking through his Director of Communications,
Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the APC candidate said Lagos State
would benefit from an APC-led government at the federal
level.
“The entertainment and tourism sectors will benefit
tremendously from an APC-led government at the centre from
May 29. We are not talking about occasional monetary hand-
outs to select artistes.
“We are concerned about building enduring structures and
empowering creative artistes and producers who invest their
time and resources in these thriving sectors.
“With an APC-led government at the centre and in Lagos, our
aim is to work with the Federal Government to have the
National Theatre at Iganmu rehabilitated once and for all, and
turn it into a profitable base for artistes. We can extend
similar thoughts to the National Museum and National Gallery
of Arts.
Those places should not be dead-ends. Yes, they are Federal
Government properties but they are in Lagos and an APC-led
government at the centre and in Lagos State will work in sync
to turn those places around.
This is why it is of utmost importance that Lagosians take
advantage of this God-given victory of last Saturday to vote
to retain APC in Lagos State. We have waited for 16 years for
this to happen and we shouldn’t blow it now,” Ambode said.
He added that one of his proposed flagship programmes,
Project T.H.E.S.E, aims at harnessing the hospitality, arts,
entertainment and sport sectors to further drive excellence in
Lagos State.
Other artistes who have recorded hit songs for the APC
candidate include Alhaji Kollington Ayinla, King Wasiu Ayinde
(K1), Dede Mabiaku, Dammy Krane, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, Seun
Bankole, Sefiu Alao, Fatai Akanbi Valentine and Gbenga
Adewusi.