Dele Odule, a seasoned actor in Nigeria, has stated that he may give up acting to enter real-time politics if it is the only way to defend the rights of his people in Oru Ijebu. In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Dele Odule discussed his reasons for joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.
He said that residents of another community were currently trespassing into his neighborhood in Oru, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun, but no one seems motivated to take any action.
The thespian explained that the numerous cries of his people have gone unheard because those who ought to be intervening in the conflict between the two communities are not doing so.
He said he joined the PDP after Ladi Adebutu, the party’s governorship candidate, informed him that his administration, if won, would intervene in the situation to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order. Odule, who asserted that an artist is not allowed to support any political party, threatened to resign if his demands were not granted by the PDP as promised.
He insisted that Adebutu proposed a law that would have benefited the country’s entertainment sector while he was a member of the House of Representatives.
I’m free to join any political party I want, he declared. However, in general, I do think that we don’t need to support any political party as an entertainer.
“However, let me to explain why I chose to set up camp with the PDP. You must jealously protect your treasure no matter where it is.
“As an entertainer, I recall that Adebutu sought to support the entertainment sector when he was in the lower house of the National Assembly because he actually introduced a law that would have had a favorable impact on the entertainment industry. The bill would have likely passed at this point because it has reached the second reading if he had stayed. While I was the President of TAMPAN, I was present at the National Assembly.
“Anyone who is willing to promote Nigerian entertainment would undoubtedly be my favorite. That is the unpleasant truth.
“Second, I dislike situations when individuals are being taken advantage of unnecessarily. I am confident that you are aware of the situation involving Ago Iwoye and Oru. Not because I’m from Oru in Ijebu, but I would have anticipated the Ogun State administration to get involved by now.
“I don’t believe in communal war or clashes, but if someone is intruding on another person’s area, the state government should have stepped in by now, the Oru people said during a press conference, because Ago Iwoye is genuinely doing this and encroaching on Oru Ijebu’s land.
“It has been more than two weeks, but nothing has been released. Therefore, regardless of the party’s name, I want to think that if they genuinely like me, they will give me a voice and allow me to have an impact if I join. This time, I don’t give a damn about which party wins; all I want is to leave a lasting impression. Nothing will stop me from leaving if I arrive and they don’t live up to my expectations; believe me!
“I’m a really pragmatic individual. When I arrive and nothing is being done as it should be, I will leave. No other party has ever offered me a platform to enter first like they have. I’ve never been in politics, and I wasn’t ready to be one, but these individuals assured me that if I joined them, they would give me every chance to express my opinions, so I agreed. When I get there, if my voice is not heard even though I am speaking the truth, I will leave. If not since
I’m prepared to stop acting because, as I previously stated, an entertainer should not affiliate with any political party. I’m prepared to stop playing a part in this mission.
“Until the day I die, I will fight for the entertainment industry and for justice. My goal is to protect my people, give them a voice, and stop Ago Iwoye from encroaching into Oru territory. Even if it were Yewa, I would have done that for any place. I would have spoken and done the same things if Ilaro were advancing on Iwoye or Would be encroaching on Oja Odan. Not because Oru is where I live.
