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.”