AWARD-WINNING actress, Funke Akindele has said joining politics comes with “a lot of backlashes”.
Akindele, the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran aka Jandor, was speaking on her latest movie, ‘Battle on Buka Street’.
She described the movie as “a farewell project” from the entertainment industry.
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This is coming few weeks after the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu dismissed the actress-turned-politician with a wave of hand.
While in a rally in Lagos State, Tinubu’s supporters, in a Yoruba song, had compared Akindele to an “ant in the presence of the father of Lagos (Tinubu)”.
Addressing the gathering, Tinubu said, “Don’t even behave as if you remember that name (Funke Akindele).
“It is a big insult, it is an abuse. A fowl wants to enter a house, it is bending down, how tall is it in the first place?”
The actress said her experience in the entertainment industry has made her tough and able to face criticisms.
According to her, “Nothing good comes easy; my mum has always told me that you have to work hard, pray harder and you learn patience to get to the top. So, moving into politics, yes there are a lot of backlashes, a lot of no, but don’t forget, I got a lot of no before I got here today.
“Everybody can’t support you, and if they do so, that means you are not doing something good. So, you must get people to criticise you constructively; you pick the constructive ones and be better with it. I have learned to be better, calmer, more dedicated and not to give up”.
Akindele said she is leaving the entertainment industry to become the deputy governor of Lagos State after the 2023 general elections. She expressed confidence that the PDP will defeat incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, of the APC, who is seeking a second term in office.
“So, I have passed the baton of production to the young people because I have moved into politics now. So, ‘Battle on Buka Street’ is like a farewell because I am going to be the next deputy governor of Lagos State”, she noted.
Sinafi Omanga is a multimedia journalist and researcher with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. He has a keen interest in humanitarian reporting, social justice, and environment.
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@OmangaSinafi
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