Actors Guild condemns El-Rufai for calling Peter Obi a Nollywood actor

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has expressed strong condemnation against the remarks made by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who compared the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to a "Nollywood actor."

Pulse reports that El-Rufai, while speaking on a TVC programme, Journalists’ Hangout on Thursday, February 2, 2023, described Obi as a Nollywood actor who lacked the political strength to win the upcoming presidential election.

Expressing discontent over the Governor's sardonic comparison, the AGN Director of Communication, Kate Henshaw, in a statement on Saturday, February 4, 2023, described the comment as derogatory to the acting profession in Nigeria.

The AGN also argued that the remarks were demeaning to the intellectual capacity of an actor and therefore demanded a retraction and an apology from El-Rufai.

The statement partly read: “The National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Chief Ejezie Emeka Rollas, MON, says, El Rufai’s statement is not only derogatory to the acting profession but degrading to the Actors in Nollywood.

“The statement is intended to belittle and demean the intellectual capacity of an actor. Using actors to make sarcastic examples of an unintelligent person is arrogant and condescending of a public office holder.

“The statement is very offensive and demeaning to the Actors Guild of Nigeria and Nollywood as a whole as it was purely intended to deride the acting profession.

“Nollywood Actors have in no small way projected the image of our dear country positively from the negative perception the likes of El Rufai and his cohorts have portrayed us to be.

“The Guild is utterly bewildered by this kind of statement from a sitting governor who claims to be educated and intelligent, referring to a noble profession of intelligentsia endowed with uncommon talent.

“Chief Rollas lamented that it is quite unfortunate, as it portrays the Governor’s ignorance of the pivotal role of the actor in the emerging global creative economy after many years of his checkered sojourn in government.

“Little wonder Nigeria is battling from serious economic quagmire after many years of clueless leadership who depend solely on the oil industry as they are bereft of ideas to grow and develop the country.

“Chief Rollas asserted that actors are intelligent, educated, creative, and highly endowed with ingenious capacity to lead and develop Nigeria more than some average leaders in government houses today.

“The national president called on El-Rufai to withdraw his nescience statement and tender an unreserved apology to Nollywood Actors immediately.”