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Revealed, The truths Bisi Akande failed to say By Tunde Odesola

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4 years ago

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I’ll follow Buhari and Akande into the jungle

Revealed, The truths Bisi Akande failed to say By Tunde Odesola

BISI AKANDE– Laughter is restorative, so is crying. It’s even beneficial when both are done simultaneously, scientists say. According to them, the same part of the brain, the hypothalamus, controls both laughter and crying.

 

 

 

The truths Bisi Akande failed to say Tunde Odesola (Published in The PUNCH, on Monday, December 13, 2021) Laughter is restorative, so is crying. It’s even beneficial when both are done simultaneously, scientists say. According to them, the same part of the brain, the hypothalamus, controls both laughter and crying. Laughter and crying are warm and cold springs issuing from different aquifers but ending up in the same confluence, like the Ikogosi warm springs. A Yale University psychologist, Dr Oriana R Aragon, recently led a research study, which discovered that humans cry when they laugh so hard because the body is trying to regulate itself in response to strong emotions. Well, if you want to laugh so hard and cry, I recommend this particular skit for you. And, if you don’t laugh and cry after watching the skit, just pack your bag and baggage, get an omolanke (wooden cart), and head back to your village. Here’s the skit’s storyline: Accosted on the street, a well-dressed, clean-shaven and serious-looking Nigerian was asked what the full meaning of CV is. The bespectacled, middle-aged man, who appears knowledgeable and very confident, looked intently at the lady that asked the question, and said authoritatively, “‘Cee Vee: ‘C-e-r-t-i-f-i-c-a-t-e!’ (he pauses, then lets out a long whistle like a kettle, and without saying what ‘Vee’ means, he asks the interviewer in a dodgy Americanna tone), ‘you gerrit?’ Then he throws the bomb: ‘If you don’t gerrit, forget about it!’” I can’t stop laughing whenever I watch the skit. I can’t stop the tears, too. It’s just too funny to me - the telling contrast between knowledge and ignorance, hope and despair, promise and failure, confidence and timidity - all rolled up in that funny fellow, whose action teaches a lesson that says appearances can be far away from reality. I’m also wowed by the spontaneity of the skit which masked the fact that it was unrehearsed, leaving the watcher on the cliffhanger of excellent humour. Because the Igbo, in the world Chinua Achebe created in Things Fall Apart, say proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten, I shall use proverbs to draw some inferences on the public presentation of My Participations, an autobiography of Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State. Ti a ba nsu’kun, a ma nri’ran is a Yoruba proverb which means ‘the eyes see while crying’. The descendants of Oduduwa also have another proverb that says, agba kii nwa loja, ki ori omo tuntun wo; meaning: elders shouldn’t watch while things go awry. When eminent national leaders, including the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), converged on Victoria Island, Lagos, last Thursday, for Akande’s book launch, many truths were left unsaid. At the book launch, Buhari, whose military regime jailed Akande for 44 years in 1984, described the Ila Orangun-born octogenarian as a man of ‘inflexible integrity’. If Akande was honest and reliable as Buhari averred, why then was he jailed for corruption by the Buhari regime 37 years ago? Or, did the Agodi Prisons, Ibadan, change Akande from an alleged thief to a saint overnight? Or, was Buhari’s regime simply what it was - fascist, corrupt and self-serving? Speaking at the colourful event, Akande spun a euphemism while lamenting the President’s disconnection from the people. He said, “I am only uncomfortable that each time my President is travelling here, he is always in a hurry. He is our President, he is one of us. We always want him to relax and come and stay with us; you know, eat our dinner with us, let our children eat with him, touch his clothes, and let him know that we love him. “But his handlers never recognise that he is no longer growing younger. They march him; they think he is still a soldier. They march him from the Naval Yard to Eko Hotel, marching him to Abuja, and that is the way they will march him throughout today, throughout tomorrow.” What a way to call a spade a spoon! Only an idiot won’t realise he’s being marched up and down, zombielike. No aide can march Buhari up and down without his blessing. Buhari’s abandonment of the South-West that gave him the presidency twice leaves so much unspoken about gratitude. Baba Akande should just have simply urged the President to improve his relationship with the South-West, instead of laying the blame on his handlers, who are themselves under the authority of Buhari. Or, is Baba Akande artfully warning Nigerians that the tail is now wagging the dog? When the Yoruba demand discretion, they say: obe kii mi ni ikun agba, meaning: the elderly should tread with caution. They also say, san lanrin, aje ni nmu’ni pekero, urging for a spade to be called a spade. And they add, ti iro ba lo logun odun, ooto yio le ba lojo kan - meaning: if a lie runs for 20 years, truth will catch up with it in a day. As a distinguished son of Oduduwa and leader of the Yoruba, I expect Baba Akande, at 82 years of age, to find an ingenious way to publicly tell Baba Buhari to do something about the way Nigerian children are being slaughtered daily across the country just the same way he told former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Olu Falae his mind in his 557-page book. More so, the Yoruba say, ko si iku ti o pa agba, ti a o ni ba poolo ori e - meaning: the elderly must always be resolute. Akande’s lamentation over Buhari’s disconnection from the masses echoes the disenchantment of Nigerians against their President who has, in just six years, travelled abroad 130 times, spending 308 days in 36 different countries. It’s shocking that the nation’s political elite, especially Yoruba political leaders, including Akande and presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, sat lavishly inside the luxury of Eko Hotels, Lagos, without giving a word of comfort to the families whose eight kids lost their lives inside a vehicle in Lagos last week, nor publicly commiserate with the families of the school pupils killed by a truck in the Ojodu area of Lagos. In the same Lagos, where Nigeria’s political heavyweights made merry with Akande, the death of a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Sylvester Oromoni, in the hands of school bullies had gone viral, a big reason why the political gathering at Eko Hotel should’ve, at least, symbolically honoured all the children who died recently in Lagos and beyond, with a minute silence - if leadership in Nigeria had a meaning. I’m sufficiently embarrassed that the deaths of so many children in Lagos couldn’t move Buhari to visit Lagos but Akande’s life stories that touch the heart could. The way a country treats her most vulnerable - children, elderly, the sick and women - reflects the level of her development. It’s obvious that Nigeria doesn’t care about what happens to her adults as reflected in government’s silence over the killing field Nigeria has turned into. Only four days ago, 23 people were killed by bandits in Sokoto even as the traditional ruler of Atta town in the Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Edwin Azike, who had also been kidnapped by gunmen four days ago, was found dead the following day. The ghost of a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Timothy Adegoke, killed gruesomely at Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife, is still restless. It’s clear to the All Progressives Congress leadership that killers stalk every Nigerian street, and nowhere is safe, but to gather in Lagos, and not mention the killings in the land because you’re protected by soldiers and policemen is wrong. If given the chance to speak at the book launch, Nigerian youths, as exemplified in the fatal Lekki toll gate peaceful protest, would’ve urged Baba Akande to soro soke (speak up) instead of speaking tongue in cheek. At 82, I pray the smile on Baba Akande’s face won’t fade, I pray his laughter won’t cease, I pray that My Participations won’t be his last book. Long may you live, baba Biodun. Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com Facebook: @tunde odesola Twitter: @tunde_odesola

 

 

Laughter and crying are warm and cold springs issuing from different aquifers but ending up in the same confluence, like the Ikogosi warm springs.

 

 

 

 

A Yale University psychologist, Dr Oriana R Aragon, recently led a research study, which discovered that humans cry when they laugh so hard because the body is trying to regulate itself in response to strong emotions.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, if you want to laugh so hard and cry, I recommend this particular skit for you. And, if you don’t laugh and cry after watching the skit, just pack your bag and baggage, get an omolanke (wooden cart), and head back to your village.

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the skit’s storyline: Accosted on the street, a well-dressed, clean-shaven and serious-looking Nigerian was asked what the full meaning of CV is.

 

 

 

 

 

The bespectacled, middle-aged man, who appears knowledgeable and very confident, looked intently at the lady that asked the question, and said authoritatively, “‘Cee Vee: ‘C-e-r-t-i-f-i-c-a-t-e!’ (he pauses, then lets out a long whistle like a kettle, and without saying what ‘Vee’ means, he asks the interviewer in a dodgy Americanna tone), ‘you gerrit?’ Then he throws the bomb: ‘If you don’t gerrit, forget about it!’”

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t stop laughing whenever I watch the skit. I can’t stop the tears, too. It’s just too funny to me – the telling contrast between knowledge and ignorance, hope and despair, promise and failure, confidence and timidity – all rolled up in that funny fellow, whose action teaches a lesson that says appearances can be far away from reality.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m also wowed by the spontaneity of the skit which masked the fact that it was unrehearsed, leaving the watcher on the cliffhanger of excellent humour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because the Igbo, in the world Chinua Achebe created in Things Fall Apart, say proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten, I shall use proverbs to draw some inferences on the public presentation of My Participations, an autobiography of Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ti a ba nsu’kun, a ma nri’ran is a Yoruba proverb which means ‘the eyes see while crying’. The descendants of Oduduwa also have another proverb that says, agba kii nwa loja, ki ori omo tuntun wo; meaning: elders shouldn’t watch while things go awry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When eminent national leaders, including the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), converged on Victoria Island, Lagos, last Thursday, for Akande’s book launch, many truths were left unsaid.

 

 

The truths Bisi Akande failed to say Tunde Odesola (Published in The PUNCH, on Monday, December 13, 2021) Laughter is restorative, so is crying. It’s even beneficial when both are done simultaneously, scientists say. According to them, the same part of the brain, the hypothalamus, controls both laughter and crying. Laughter and crying are warm and cold springs issuing from different aquifers but ending up in the same confluence, like the Ikogosi warm springs. A Yale University psychologist, Dr Oriana R Aragon, recently led a research study, which discovered that humans cry when they laugh so hard because the body is trying to regulate itself in response to strong emotions. Well, if you want to laugh so hard and cry, I recommend this particular skit for you. And, if you don’t laugh and cry after watching the skit, just pack your bag and baggage, get an omolanke (wooden cart), and head back to your village. Here’s the skit’s storyline: Accosted on the street, a well-dressed, clean-shaven and serious-looking Nigerian was asked what the full meaning of CV is. The bespectacled, middle-aged man, who appears knowledgeable and very confident, looked intently at the lady that asked the question, and said authoritatively, “‘Cee Vee: ‘C-e-r-t-i-f-i-c-a-t-e!’ (he pauses, then lets out a long whistle like a kettle, and without saying what ‘Vee’ means, he asks the interviewer in a dodgy Americanna tone), ‘you gerrit?’ Then he throws the bomb: ‘If you don’t gerrit, forget about it!’” I can’t stop laughing whenever I watch the skit. I can’t stop the tears, too. It’s just too funny to me - the telling contrast between knowledge and ignorance, hope and despair, promise and failure, confidence and timidity - all rolled up in that funny fellow, whose action teaches a lesson that says appearances can be far away from reality. I’m also wowed by the spontaneity of the skit which masked the fact that it was unrehearsed, leaving the watcher on the cliffhanger of excellent humour. Because the Igbo, in the world Chinua Achebe created in Things Fall Apart, say proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten, I shall use proverbs to draw some inferences on the public presentation of My Participations, an autobiography of Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State. Ti a ba nsu’kun, a ma nri’ran is a Yoruba proverb which means ‘the eyes see while crying’. The descendants of Oduduwa also have another proverb that says, agba kii nwa loja, ki ori omo tuntun wo; meaning: elders shouldn’t watch while things go awry. When eminent national leaders, including the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), converged on Victoria Island, Lagos, last Thursday, for Akande’s book launch, many truths were left unsaid. At the book launch, Buhari, whose military regime jailed Akande for 44 years in 1984, described the Ila Orangun-born octogenarian as a man of ‘inflexible integrity’. If Akande was honest and reliable as Buhari averred, why then was he jailed for corruption by the Buhari regime 37 years ago? Or, did the Agodi Prisons, Ibadan, change Akande from an alleged thief to a saint overnight? Or, was Buhari’s regime simply what it was - fascist, corrupt and self-serving? Speaking at the colourful event, Akande spun a euphemism while lamenting the President’s disconnection from the people. He said, “I am only uncomfortable that each time my President is travelling here, he is always in a hurry. He is our President, he is one of us. We always want him to relax and come and stay with us; you know, eat our dinner with us, let our children eat with him, touch his clothes, and let him know that we love him. “But his handlers never recognise that he is no longer growing younger. They march him; they think he is still a soldier. They march him from the Naval Yard to Eko Hotel, marching him to Abuja, and that is the way they will march him throughout today, throughout tomorrow.” What a way to call a spade a spoon! Only an idiot won’t realise he’s being marched up and down, zombielike. No aide can march Buhari up and down without his blessing. Buhari’s abandonment of the South-West that gave him the presidency twice leaves so much unspoken about gratitude. Baba Akande should just have simply urged the President to improve his relationship with the South-West, instead of laying the blame on his handlers, who are themselves under the authority of Buhari. Or, is Baba Akande artfully warning Nigerians that the tail is now wagging the dog? When the Yoruba demand discretion, they say: obe kii mi ni ikun agba, meaning: the elderly should tread with caution. They also say, san lanrin, aje ni nmu’ni pekero, urging for a spade to be called a spade. And they add, ti iro ba lo logun odun, ooto yio le ba lojo kan - meaning: if a lie runs for 20 years, truth will catch up with it in a day. As a distinguished son of Oduduwa and leader of the Yoruba, I expect Baba Akande, at 82 years of age, to find an ingenious way to publicly tell Baba Buhari to do something about the way Nigerian children are being slaughtered daily across the country just the same way he told former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Olu Falae his mind in his 557-page book. More so, the Yoruba say, ko si iku ti o pa agba, ti a o ni ba poolo ori e - meaning: the elderly must always be resolute. Akande’s lamentation over Buhari’s disconnection from the masses echoes the disenchantment of Nigerians against their President who has, in just six years, travelled abroad 130 times, spending 308 days in 36 different countries. It’s shocking that the nation’s political elite, especially Yoruba political leaders, including Akande and presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, sat lavishly inside the luxury of Eko Hotels, Lagos, without giving a word of comfort to the families whose eight kids lost their lives inside a vehicle in Lagos last week, nor publicly commiserate with the families of the school pupils killed by a truck in the Ojodu area of Lagos. In the same Lagos, where Nigeria’s political heavyweights made merry with Akande, the death of a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Sylvester Oromoni, in the hands of school bullies had gone viral, a big reason why the political gathering at Eko Hotel should’ve, at least, symbolically honoured all the children who died recently in Lagos and beyond, with a minute silence - if leadership in Nigeria had a meaning. I’m sufficiently embarrassed that the deaths of so many children in Lagos couldn’t move Buhari to visit Lagos but Akande’s life stories that touch the heart could. The way a country treats her most vulnerable - children, elderly, the sick and women - reflects the level of her development. It’s obvious that Nigeria doesn’t care about what happens to her adults as reflected in government’s silence over the killing field Nigeria has turned into. Only four days ago, 23 people were killed by bandits in Sokoto even as the traditional ruler of Atta town in the Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Edwin Azike, who had also been kidnapped by gunmen four days ago, was found dead the following day. The ghost of a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Timothy Adegoke, killed gruesomely at Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife, is still restless. It’s clear to the All Progressives Congress leadership that killers stalk every Nigerian street, and nowhere is safe, but to gather in Lagos, and not mention the killings in the land because you’re protected by soldiers and policemen is wrong. If given the chance to speak at the book launch, Nigerian youths, as exemplified in the fatal Lekki toll gate peaceful protest, would’ve urged Baba Akande to soro soke (speak up) instead of speaking tongue in cheek. At 82, I pray the smile on Baba Akande’s face won’t fade, I pray his laughter won’t cease, I pray that My Participations won’t be his last book. Long may you live, baba Biodun. Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com Facebook: @tunde odesola Twitter: @tunde_odesola

 

 

 

 

At the book launch, Buhari, whose military regime jailed Akande for 44 years in 1984, described the Ila Orangun-born octogenarian as a man of ‘inflexible integrity’. If Akande was honest and reliable as Buhari averred, why then was he jailed for corruption by the Buhari regime 37 years ago? Or, did the Agodi Prisons, Ibadan, change Akande from an alleged thief to a saint overnight? Or, was Buhari’s regime simply what it was – fascist, corrupt and self-serving?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking at the colourful event, Akande spun a euphemism while lamenting the President’s disconnection from the people. He said, “I am only uncomfortable that each time my President is travelling here, he is always in a hurry. He is our President, he is one of us. We always want him to relax and come and stay with us; you know, eat our dinner with us, let our children eat with him, touch his clothes, and let him know that we love him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“But his handlers never recognise that he is no longer growing younger. They march him; they think he is still a soldier. They march him from the Naval Yard to Eko Hotel, marching him to Abuja, and that is the way they will march him throughout today, throughout tomorrow.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a way to call a spade a spoon! Only an idiot won’t realise he’s being marched up and down, zombielike. No aide can march Buhari up and down without his blessing. Buhari’s abandonment of the South-West that gave him the presidency twice leaves so much unspoken about gratitude. Baba Akande should just have simply urged the President to improve his relationship with the South-West, instead of laying the blame on his handlers, who are themselves under the authority of Buhari. Or, is Baba Akande artfully warning Nigerians that the tail is now wagging the dog?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the Yoruba demand discretion, they say: obe kii mi ni ikun agba, meaning: the elderly should tread with caution. They also say, san lanrin, aje ni nmu’ni pekero, urging for a spade to be called a spade. And they add, ti iro ba lo logun odun, ooto yio le ba lojo kan – meaning: if a lie runs for 20 years, truth will catch up with it in a day.

 

 

 

 

 

As a distinguished son of Oduduwa and leader of the Yoruba, I expect Baba Akande, at 82 years of age, to find an ingenious way to publicly tell Baba Buhari to do something about the way Nigerian children are being slaughtered daily across the country just the same way he told former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Olu Falae his mind in his 557-page book. More so, the Yoruba say, ko si iku ti o pa agba, ti a o ni ba poolo ori e – meaning: the elderly must always be resolute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Akande’s lamentation over Buhari’s disconnection from the masses echoes the disenchantment of Nigerians against their President who has, in just six years, travelled abroad 130 times, spending 308 days in 36 different countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s shocking that the nation’s political elite, especially Yoruba political leaders, including Akande and presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, sat lavishly inside the luxury of Eko Hotels, Lagos, without giving a word of comfort to the families whose eight kids lost their lives inside a vehicle in Lagos last week, nor publicly commiserate with the families of the school pupils killed by a truck in the Ojodu area of Lagos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the same Lagos, where Nigeria’s political heavyweights made merry with Akande, the death of a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Sylvester Oromoni, in the hands of school bullies had gone viral, a big reason why the political gathering at Eko Hotel should’ve, at least, symbolically honoured all the children who died recently in Lagos and beyond, with a minute silence – if leadership in Nigeria had a meaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m sufficiently embarrassed that the deaths of so many children in Lagos couldn’t move Buhari to visit Lagos but Akande’s life stories that touch the heart could.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The way a country treats her most vulnerable – children, elderly, the sick and women – reflects the level of her development. It’s obvious that Nigeria doesn’t care about what happens to her adults as reflected in government’s silence over the killing field Nigeria has turned into.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only four days ago, 23 people were killed by bandits in Sokoto even as the traditional ruler of Atta town in the Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Edwin Azike, who had also been kidnapped by gunmen four days ago, was found dead the following day. The ghost of a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Timothy Adegoke, killed gruesomely at Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife, is still restless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s clear to the All Progressives Congress leadership that killers stalk every Nigerian street, and nowhere is safe, but to gather in Lagos, and not mention the killings in the land because you’re protected by soldiers and policemen is wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If given the chance to speak at the book launch, Nigerian youths, as exemplified in the fatal Lekki toll gate peaceful protest, would’ve urged Baba Akande to soro soke (speak up) instead of speaking tongue in cheek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 82, I pray the smile on Baba Akande’s face won’t fade, I pray his laughter won’t cease, I pray that My Participations won’t be his last book. Long may you live, baba Biodun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola

Related Topics:

Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact [email protected]

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PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES OTEGA OGRA ON ELECTION TO WORLD FEDERATION OF ADVERTISERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Published

1 day ago

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April 21, 2026

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PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES OTEGA OGRA ON ELECTION TO WORLD FEDERATION OF ADVERTISERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES OTEGA OGRA ON ELECTION TO WORLD FEDERATION OF ADVERTISERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated his Senior Special Assistant on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, Mr Otega Ogra, on his election to the Executive Committee of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

 

The election took place today at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting, held during the Global Marketing Week Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES OTEGA OGRA ON ELECTION TO WORLD FEDERATION OF ADVERTISERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President Tinubu described the development as a significant step for Nigeria’s growing influence in global communications.

 

He noted that Mr Ogra’s emergence as the only representative from West Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa on the Executive Committee reflects the depth of Nigerian expertise and the contribution of a new generation of young Nigerian professionals to global industry standards.

 

Mr Ogra was elected to the Executive Committee on the platform of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), underscoring the role of Nigeria’s organised advertising and marketing industry in shaping representation at the global level.

 

The WFA is the leading global body for advertisers, representing over 150 multinational and Fortune 500 companies, alongside national advertiser associations across more than 60 countries, with a combined annual marketing spend running into hundreds of billions of dollars. Its Executive Committee is the organisation’s highest decision-making body, responsible for setting priorities and guiding global policy on responsible advertising, media transparency, sustainability, and the evolution of digital ecosystems.

 

President Tinubu noted that Mr Ogra’s election is both a personal distinction and a strategic opportunity for Nigeria and the African continent, placing them at the centre of global conversations on brand trust, platform accountability, innovation and the future of marketing and communications.

 

The President commended Mr Ogra, who also serves as Vice President of ADVAN, for his sustained contributions to strengthening Nigeria’s marketing and communications ecosystem, drawing on a career spanning leadership roles across the banking, manufacturing, and public sectors.

 

“Otega’s election reflects the growing recognition of Nigerian expertise and affirms our capacity to contribute meaningfully to the frameworks shaping global markets,” the President said.

 

President Tinubu added that the achievement aligns with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in advancing the creative economy, strengthening digital governance, and positioning Nigeria as a competitive hub for innovation and enterprise.

 

Josh Faulks, CEO of the Australian advertiser association (AANA), and Simon Michaelides, Director General of the UK advertiser association (ISBA), also join the leadership team.

 

Current members of the executive committee, David Wheldon, President and Philip Myers, Deputy President, who is also the Chief Institutional Affairs and Corporate Communications Officer at Ferrero, continue in their current roles, as do all regional vice presidents.

 

 

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Hold Peter Okoye Responsible If Any Harm Comes To Our Member – NASRE Fires Back At Singer

Published

2 days ago

on

April 20, 2026

By

Hold Peter Okoye Responsible If Any Harm Comes To Our Member – NASRE Fires Back At Singer

Hold Peter Okoye Responsible If Any Harm Comes To Our Member – NASRE Fires Back At Singer

 

 

The Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors (NASRE) has raised alarm over an alleged threat by Afrobeat artist Peter Okoye (Mr P) against journalist and NASRE Directorate member, Mr Bayo Adetu, warning that the singer will be held responsible should any harm come to the journalist or his family.

Hold Peter Okoye Responsible If Any Harm Comes To Our Member – NASRE Fires Back At Singer

 

In a press statement issued on April 20, 2026, NASRE’s leadership, led by Comrade Femi Oyewale, expressed concern over the incident reportedly occurring at the Ikoyi High Court during proceedings in the ongoing legal dispute involving P-Square and their elder brother, Jude Okoye.

 

 

NASRE views the alleged statement as inappropriate and unacceptable, stating that any language suggesting intimidation against a journalist performing lawful duties raises serious concerns about press freedom, safety, and professional ethics.

 

 

The association has therefore called on Mr Peter Okoye to retract the alleged statement and issue a public apology to Mr Bayo Adetu, while also urging all parties involved in the ongoing legal matter to conduct themselves with restraint, respect, and strict adherence to the rule of law.

Read the statement below:

PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release

NASRE RAISES ALARM OVER ALLEGED THREAT BY PETER OKOYE (MR P) AGAINST BAYO ADETU IN COURT, WARNS OF CONSEQUENCES

The leadership of the Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors (NASRE), led by Comrade Femi Oyewale, expresses concern over an alleged threat issued by popular Afrobeat artist Peter Okoye, widely known as Mr P, against journalist and NASRE Directorate member, Mr Bayo Adetu.

The incident reportedly occurred at the Ikoyi High Court during proceedings in the ongoing legal dispute involving the music duo P-Square and their elder brother, Jude Okoye. Eyewitnesses present in court stated that Mr Peter Okoye drew the attention of Justice Alexander Owoeye to Mr Adetu’s presence, noting that he was formerly P-Square’s publicist but now works with his brothers. The remark reportedly generated reactions in the courtroom.

It is further alleged that after the court session, Mr Peter Okoye confronted Mr Adetu in the presence of others and said, “You, Bayo, I will set you up.”

NASRE views this alleged statement as inappropriate and unacceptable. Any language suggesting harm or intimidation directed at a journalist performing lawful duties raises serious concerns regarding press freedom, safety, and professional ethics.

We state unequivocally that should anything happen to Mr Bayo Adetu or any member of his family, Mr Peter Okoye will be held accountable. Such statements, when directed at a media professional, are taken with utmost seriousness.

NASRE will not tolerate any form of intimidation, harassment, or threat against its members. We are fully prepared to activate all lawful media and legal channels to protect our members and safeguard the integrity of the profession. Mr Peter Okoye must be aware that utterances of this nature carry consequences and he will be held responsible for any outcome arising from this matter.

We therefore call on Mr Peter Okoye to retract the alleged statement and issue a public apology to Mr Bayo Adetu. We also urge all parties involved in the ongoing matter to conduct themselves with restraint, respect, and strict adherence to the rule of law.

The safety of journalists remains paramount, and the media will not be silenced.

Signed:
Lateef Owodunni
Media Director, NASRE
April 20, 2026

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Fuji Star, Saheed Osupa Addresses Prado Controversy, Says Vehicle Was Compensation — Not Political Gift

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3 days ago

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April 19, 2026

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Fuji Star, Saheed Osupa Addresses Prado Controversy, Says Vehicle Was Compensation — Not Political Gift

By Alhaji Arems (Baba Fuji)

 

 

Nigerian Fuji star Saheed Osupa has responded to a wave of political controversy surrounding his recent campaign appearance in Oyo State, clarifying that a vehicle linked to the debate was not a political gift but compensation tied to a professional engagement.

The backlash followed the circulation of a Facebook Reel showing Osupa performing at an event associated with Sharafadeen Alli, who has declared interest in the Oyo State governorship under the All Progressives Congress (APC). As the video gained traction, it sparked renewed scrutiny over entertainers’ roles in political campaigns and the assumptions that often follow such appearances.

Amid the reactions, individuals aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) circulated claims on social media alleging that Osupa, alongside gospel artist Yinka Ayefele, had previously received luxury vehicles from the administration of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. The claims, which remain unverified, framed the alleged gesture as an example of questionable public spending and raised concerns about political loyalty.

Osupa has since pushed back against that narrative, offering a different account of events. In a video statement, the artist explained that his involvement in the campaign was strictly professional, based on a negotiated performance agreement rather than any form of political alignment.

According to him, he was engaged to perform at campaign events with assurances that he would be adequately compensated after the election. He, however, alleged that those commitments were not fulfilled following the electoral victory.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the vehicle, Osupa stated that his personal car was damaged during the course of the campaign. He said the replacement vehicle later provided to him was intended as compensation for that loss, not a discretionary gift or political reward.

His response reframes the discussion from one of political patronage to a dispute over professional obligations—an important distinction in an environment where entertainers are frequently enlisted to support campaign visibility.

The episode highlights a recurring tension within Nigeria’s political landscape: the blurred line between performance and perceived allegiance. For artists, participation in campaign activities can quickly shift from paid engagement to public endorsement in the eyes of observers, particularly when details of such arrangements are not clearly communicated.

Osupa’s clarification brings that tension into focus, underscoring how easily professional engagements can be recast within political narratives. As conversations continue, the situation points to a broader need for transparency in the relationship between public figures and political actors—especially in moments where perception can carry as much weight as fact.

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