Veteran Nollywood actor, Fatai Adetayo, popularly known as Lalude, has expressed deep disappointment over what he described as betrayal by the campaign teams of President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during the 2023 elections.
In a candid interview on the Behind the Fame YouTube channel, Lalude said he and several other actors were left abandoned after weeks of campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, promises made to them during the campaign were never fulfilled.
“We spent one month and three weeks to campaign,” he recalled. “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.”
He claimed that attempts by younger members of the group to save part of their daily allowance angered the organisers, leading to delays in payment. In the end, he said they received nothing after the campaign concluded.
“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,” Lalude added bitterly.
He specifically mentioned a prominent figure who, he alleged, coordinated their involvement and failed to keep his word.
“It was … who called us. We went for camping. He called Alapini and I 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.”
The actor, visibly pained, cursed those who withheld their payment, saying, “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.”
READ ALSO: ‘I Regret Supporting Tinubu, Feel Abandoned,’ Says Veteran Actor Alapini
Fellow actor Alapini, who was part of the team, backed Lalude’s claims. He said despite meeting with Governor Sanwo-Olu and receiving promises, they returned home empty-handed.
“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,” Alapini said.
He added that he tried to shield the organisers during the campaign: “I had to lie that we were not maltreated during the campaign period.”
Lalude further explained that they were told Tinubu had asked what the team needed and that they should liaise with his son, Seyi Tinubu.
But according to him, the person who brought them into the campaign handled things poorly.
“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.”
Lalude said he was promised a car along with Alapini, but they never received it. They were also told ₦1.5 million would be given to them, a promise that also went unfulfilled.
“When the campaign was coming to an end, we did not see 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,” Lalude said.
He recounted the hardship they endured throughout the campaign, stating that they were camped for seven weeks and often had to walk long distances.
“We often trekked two to three miles while others drove past us,” he said.
Lalude’s revelations come amid growing criticism from other Yoruba actors, including Aminatu Papapa and Alapini, who have also voiced regrets over their involvement in the APC’s campaign, citing lack of compensation and recognition.