Nollywood actor Fatai Adetayo, also known as Lalude, has accused President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s campaign teams of betrayal and abandonment after participating in the 2023 general elections campaign.
In a now viral video interview on YouTube’s Behind the Fame channel, Lalude alleged that he and colleagues who campaigned for the All Progressives Congress leaders for over a month were never compensated as promised.
“We spent one month and three weeks to campaign. They were giving us ten thousand daily for feeding.
“It was supposed to be more than that for campaign purposes, but they decided it is ten thousand they want to be paying,” Lalude said.
He alleged that attempts to save part of the daily allowance as suggested by younger members of the group led to delays in payment.
“When they knew, they started delaying the payment.
“After concluding the job, we did not get a dime. If we curse them, they will not survive it until their death,” he added.
The actor specifically mentioned the NURTW boss accusing him of making financial promises that were never fulfilled.
“It was … who called us. We went camping. He called Alapini and me personally to request what we wanted.
“He called someone and promised that he will come and meet us on Thursday. He promised to give us money, till date, we have not received a dime.
“Everything was in vain. This job will not go like that,” he said.
In the interview, Lalude invoked curses in Yoruba, declaring that anyone who withheld the promised payment he was supposed to receive will not prosper in life.
“Anyone who prevented us from receiving payment after one month and three weeks of campaigning for Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu — anyone behind it will never benefit from their existence until their death.
“Do not let me curse here because curses are like wind. It goes anywhere,” he said.
Alapini further mentioned that the public should hear his account because “we went home the same way we came.”
“I remember that day when we went to meet Sanwo-Olu, our Governor, His Excellency.
“He promised us money, but I don’t know if those who organised us collected the money behind us and embezzled it.”
According to him, despite the harsh conditions during the campaign period, he tried to shield the organisers from public criticism.
“I had to lie that we were not maltreated during the campaign period,” he said.
Lalude stated that they were told that Tinubu had instructed that the team be asked what they wanted and that they should liaise with his son, Seyi Tinubu.
According to him, the person who coordinated their participation made personal pledges that were never fulfilled.
“They relayed a message that the president told them to ask the person who brought us to ask what we wanted and meet Seyi Tinubu.
“I thought he told them he does not want anything, that he was going to spend his money.”
“It was this same person who asked what I wanted, and I told him a car. And he promised to give Alapini and me a car.
“When the campaign was coming to an end, we did not see a car.”
“He still told us someone was going to give us N1.5 million next week Thursday. The person that he told us to meet said they have not given him any money,” he stated.
Lalude recounted the campaign period, stating that they were tented for seven weeks, often trekking “two to three miles” while others drove past them.
Recall that Yoruba actors, including Aminatu Papapa and Alapini, have expressed regret for supporting President Tinubu in the 2023 election, claiming a lack of money and recognition.
