Veteran actor, Ebun Oloyede, popularly known as Olaiya Igwe, has been summoned by the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners of Nigeria (TAMPAN) following a recently shared video of himself unclad by the seaside, declaring support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, to win in the forthcoming general election.
This got social media buzzing as many people did not find it welcoming. Social media users tagged TAMPAN and reported the actor’s Instagram page.
It was gathered that TAMPAN summoned the veteran actor to face a disciplinary panel to explain the reasons for his actions.
This was confirmed by one of TAMPAN’s executives, Actress Rose Odika, who stated that even though the actor has the right to support whoever he wants to, his actions have no moral justification.
In Rose’s words: “He has the right to support whoever he wants to, but we have the moral justification angle. We are looking at the morality behind that advert (video). It is not about who he is supporting. It is about him breaching the code of ethics (of our association and industry.”
See unclad photo below
While reacting to the summon, Olaiya said he is not aware of such summon.
His words: “I don’t know who discussed that with you. I did not hear anything about that. God bless you.”
aprokovibes.com (TNG) reports that Olaiya is also a movie producer and director, who is known for the production of Iru Esin, Alase Aye and Abela Pupa.
Olaiya has spent more than forty years in the movie industry, he has featured in over one hundred movies and produced over twenty movies.
The Yoruba movie star, days after going naked to campaign for Tinubu, had given reasons for his actions.
In an Instagram video, the actor, who once said that Mr Tinubu saved his life after he was diagnosed with nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones) without knowing him, invoked the river god amidst thunder and lightning effects.
Initially, Instagram suspended his page shortly after he posted the video, but the page was later restored with the footage still present.
However, in an interview on the breakfast programme, ‘Your View’, which aired on Television Continental on Monday, Olaiya, who was unapologetic, gave reasons for his actions.
During the interview, Olaiya, who has been in the news for his unusual gratitude to his benefactors, Tinubu and MC Oluomo, said he was acting under divine instructions.
According to the actor and theatre practitioner, he says he has a gift of revelation from the Almighty God and sometimes sees what God plans for him ahead before it happens.
He said: “I was sleeping that day, and the voice came to me and said, please stand up. You said you love Asiwaju, and he has been assisting you.
“Stand up. Go and do this, this and this for him. I am an artiste but a bit of a politician. But professionally, I am an artist. So I said ok, as an artist, I can do it.”
He likened his actions to those who visit traditional doctors, known in Yoruba as Babalawo,
According to the actor, those native doctors sometimes instruct people to carry out specific instructions in public places.
