How did you feel when your three million twitter and facebook followers, whom you had bragged would vote for you at the last election, did not do so, resulting in your losing the House of Representatives ticket in Oyo State? Why this question now and how do I respond to it? Well, I want to use this medium to advise the youth to make sure they collect their voter card and exercise their civic duties whenever it is expected. It is very essential. That I did not win their support does not mean that they don’t love me. They must have reasons to have done that. It also does not mean that I won’t approach them for votes in future. But then, I do appreciate everyone that supported me during the election.
Are you saying you have not quit politics despite that defeat?
Never say never! No. I have not quit politics, neither have I quit APC because I still have a lot to offer my people.
Despite your loss, you remained in the party. Could this be the reason the Oyo State governor compensated you with a youth portfolio?
I don’t see it as a reward, but rather an opportunity to serve the people, especially the youth as the Special Assistant to the governor on Youth Matters. It won’t be out of place to say that I was able to make an impact too. It was also a platform for me to get closer to the youth and also let the governor to be aware of their yearnings. We came up with a lot of ideas and policies in creating more opportunities for the youth. We recently organised a political platform for youths in the state at Agodi garden. The turnout was massive despite the fact that it is not a show. The youth’s participation showed that they have begun to see that we own this generation. I pray we sustain this development. Many states have annual carnivals. It is time Oyo launched its own. Carnivals bring youths together to network and share ideas, as well as promote tourism and culture. I hope that there will be fund to execute some of these plans.
There are claims that the governor is not involving youths in governance. How have you been able to address this?
That is not true, the governor is really trying to make life better for all and sundry in the state. He even has the youth at heart more than the older ones. On a wider perspective, it is not as if all the governors that came into power under the APC platform don’t know what to do. They are all committed and focused, but there is nothing they could do when there is no funds. This is the circumstances the governments of the day find themselves. They need to use what they have to circumvent the situation we find ourselves in the country. So, I urge people and Nigerians at large to exercise patient with them.
You recently turned 36. How do you feel about your new age?
I thank God for the gift of life and sound health. However, the fact is that this age shows that we are no longer the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today. I think I am more matured now. What Nigeria will become tomorrow is in our hands and politically, you won’t be given anything until you fight for it. You won’t be called from home to come and occupy a position; you have to be there and fight for it.
Are you satisfied with the acceptance of your new single, ‘Abefe’?
It’s been awesome. I never even thought it would be this accepted. The release was even a rough mix of the whole song due to popular demand. Initially, I was concentrating on shooting all the videos that had been released earlier before now as usual, but the change came suddenly which brought about Abefe. I am impressed with the response so far. That is why I decided to unveil the new song on my birthday.
Can it be said that you are gradually getting tired of music as you are being overshadowed by the present young artistes?
I am not tired of music at all. The truth is that I have never been challenged by anyone. There has never been a time I felt threatened by any artiste, especially the young ones. No one has put me in a race or make me feel that I have not done enough. What we have in the industry now is not challenging. It is painful that we no longer have evergreens. Today’s songs can’t stand the test of time. What we have today are seasonal songs that would fade in no time. That is why you see that artistes more often than not, head for the studios, because once they release a single, they hit the studio two or three months after to mix another one. Gone are the days when artistes had songs that lasted for three or four years. So, I had never been challenged, no. I just got tired.
It is no more news that you and your ex-wife have eventually settled. What next with her?
We all need to understand that the tongue and the mouth can fight. We are from different background. We need to fight to even understand each other better. I am happy about it-her forgiving me. I have forgiven her as well. I am so sorry for whatever has happened between us. We both have a child to raise. That is the most important thing.
Is there anything that you feel people didn’t really know about what transpired between you and Payne?
I think the public and the media have dwelt more than enough on this matter; I wouldn’t want a flashback to what is in the past. What really matters now is that we have forgiven one another and we are both moving on.
Is she occupying her space now as your real wife?
I won’t want to talk about that now, but at present, we have forgiven each other. We have a son to raise and we are moving on.
Do you also plan to settle with your friend, Ruggedman, who was fingered as the primary suspect after the fans heard your song?
I did not accuse Ruggedman as being responsible for anything. Go and listen to the song very well. Fans just concluded that it must have been a friend, even when no name was mentioned.
Artistes rarely mention names in such instances.
Well, yes. But in this case, I think what happened was that in a song from my Traditional album, entitled “Once Beaten Twice Shy”, people picked some things out of the song and twisted it. Don’t forget that it was about the time I quarrelled with my wife. They concluded that it must be Ruggedman as he was the closest person to me. Though the song was real, I was not talking about myself. I was talking about another person’s experience. I even entitled the song “Tony Payne” back then when I was writing it, not “Once Beaten...” She was right behind me when I was writing it. So, I couldn’t have been talking about my wife. Also, we didn’t have any quarrel then, just as there was no problem between me and Ruggedman, but before I could say ‘Jesus is Lord’, the whole issue had gone from frying pan for fire. Ruggedman never had an affair with my wife. The issue eventually went out of hand. I don’t blame Ruggedman. He also had his name to protect. My conversation with him was off record. Anyway, the whole issue is now history. We are now friends. Ruggedman and I are good friends. I wore one of his wears from his fashion outfit; September Wear. Whatever we had before was in the past and I have no grudge against him. We are back as friends and life goes on.
Why do you think artistes are always at loggerheads?
It is normal for people to fight or express their grievances, but it should not be allowed to fester as it could turn to something else entirely. I am happy about the apology and reconciliation between Don Jazzy and Olamide; Wizkid and Dammy Krane, because that is the way forward. Don’t forget that the industry is more challenging now in terms of the competition we have today. We now have about 10 artistes sharing the same brand of music and fans. Interestingly, I want people to watch out for Don Jazzy and Olamide’s collaboration coming out soon. That is the spirit. Argue and make up.
Back to politics. Do you think the new government of the day is interested in the entertainment industry unlike the past government?
Definitely. The APC government has the entertainment industry at heart. This has been part of them even before they came into power. I am sure that the Federal Government has a bigger plan for the industry.
We are not getting that vibe from Buhari
He has started by hosting our athletes and footballers. Just wait and watch. The state governments are also doing great too, especially Lagos. The last Lagos Fiesta was held in various parts of the state. The fiesta was set aside to usher people into the New Year in a unique way. This development has really changed the face of entertainment in the state. That should show that the governor is interested in the industry. There are more innovative ideas. APC is all about innovation and getting close to people, making them happy and creating opportunities. That is the essence of governance. The British doesn’t have anything, but they control almost half of the world. So, why must we suffer when we have everything at our disposal? We don’t need to have everything before we can make things happen in this country. I believe in the government in power and I am sure that things will begin to take shape before the end of the year.
So far, how would you assess the President Buhari-led government for the past nine months?
Something is about to give way in this country. We all know that corruption has destroyed the country, but with the anti-corruption stand of the president, we are in for a good end. Future I mean. Nigeria was bad and its treasury almost empty when the party came to power. You can see why ATM was blocked and many could not deposit dollars or withdraw money abroad for some time. This was a tactical move. This was done because a lot of dollars was in circulation, especially in the hands of those who used it before, during and after the last general elections. This is to show that this government knows what it is doing. Those who cannot defend how they came about questionable money in the bank were caught napping as many could not be duly registered with the banks. Now they cannot afford to link all their accounts together. A lot of rich men with stolen money are now afraid of the EFCC and ICPC.
What is your take about the crisis in the economy?
This is just another Noah’s boat that everyone has to enter. It is just for a while. It will be over soon and Nigeria will be a better place to live in. Many people condemned Obasanjo when he was in power, but what he left was better than what Buhari met. I think we would have been better than this if it was Buhari that got to power after Obasanjo. But it seems we are stating from the beginning now. Honestly, I believe in this government and I urge Nigerians to give the president and his team more time and we will have every reason to commend them at the end of four years.
Don’t you think this is strange, commending the party, its personalities, despite what you faced at the general election in Oyo State?
It shows true patriotism. It is not a do or die affair. If you don’t win today, you can win tomorrow. Buhari himself tried the presidency several times, but when you start changing parties, your focus and ambition change. APC is different from others. Despite all odds, I am still part of the party.
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