Nollywood Stars Share Their Thoughts On Jonathan’s Defeat

President Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat in the presidential election made some people jubilant, while others were thrown in confusion and sadness.

nollywood_stars

The group of the society who might be really upset are Nollywood stars, who contributed massively to Jonathan’s electoral campaign. Many celebrities were seen on TV screens, social media and multiple events praising the president and his role for the industry and for the country in the whole.

The Punch had a chance to ask some of them how they felt after March 28. So, do they really regret the choice they made?

Omoni Oboli, the actress. May be regarded as a personal friend of President Jonathan.

“I can never regret anything I do. I stood for what I believe in, not because of financial gain. At the end of the day, the victory goes to Nigeria. This election showed true democracy and I am proud of the man that I supported. He is a hero. He conceded graciously and that is the trait of a true leader. This is democracy and nobody should work against me because I supported Jonathan.”

Lancelot Imasuen, the movie director.

“It is just that I want to use the opportunity to celebrate President Goodluck Jonathan for his uprightness. If a man that has been tagged as weak and clueless demonstrated something we thought was almost impossible in Nigeria, I eternally want to celebrate him. I will never regret campaigning for Jonathan and if this election is done again, I will still campaign for him. Why would I regret supporting him? I was not coerced or bribed into it. I was not given money, I was convinced and I still stand by my conviction. If that would make me face the international court, I am ready to face it. While supporting Jonathan, I did not kill anybody; I was only using the word of mouth to convince people.”

Segun Arinze, the former Actors’ Guild of Nigeria president.

“I stood for what I believed in and if I had the opportunity, I would do it all over again. I do not ever regret campaigning for Jonathan. If I believed in Buhari, I would have done the same thing. I wish him all the best and hope he would take the country to a better place. It is no longer about Buhari or Goodluck but about Nigeria.

“I am not a card carrying member of PDP; I supported the President because I believed he has done well for my industry and Nigeria as a whole. I am a Nigerian and I have every right to the freedom of expression. Being silent would be foolhardy on my part. In 2011, I was campaigning for Fashola, why was I not silent at that time? We are all Nigerians and I don’t think Buhari would victimise me because I supported Jonathan.”

Fidelis Duker, the veteran filmmaker.

“I can never regret supporting President Goodluck Jonathan. When he is having a welcome party at Otuoke, I will be there with him. He has done very well and I am still very proud of him. It has never happened in the history of Nigeria where an incumbent will lose and he will walk away.”

The 2015 presidential campaign had involvement of stars on both of the side, the APC and the PDP. However, President Jonathan had much more celebrities involved in campaigning for him. We may recall such VIP events as #MeetThePresident event in Lagos, or, for example Show Biz interactive with Jonathan, also in Lagos.