I was below 18 when I first voted —Baba Latin

Dayo Amusan

Yoruba comedian and actor, Dayo Amusan, popularly known as Baba Latin, spoke with KUNLE FALAYI about his interest in democracy

What would you say about the conduct of Saturday’s presidential election?

I think Nigerians need to be patient. If we are using card readers for the first time and it is like this, imagine how better it would have become in the next four years. The irony of it is that I was accredited at my ward under one minute while the President could not do his for more than one hour. If we want to go electronic in our voting system, then, we have to be patient because there will be hitches once in a while.

Then I have to say too that it is possible that whoever got the contract of those card readers might have bought refurbished ones. If we want to use such things, we must procure ones that would last for a long time and not break down often. Nigerians should encourage INEC. So far so good. I am happy that there has been relative peace.

Can you remember the first time you voted?

I voted for the first time in 1979. Nigerians were not this exposed at the time. Nobody cared about my birth certificate. I was not even 18 yet at the time. I was a little less than the voting age then.

But my height was like that of a 25-year-old. I decided to vote because of the love we had for Chief Obafemi Awolowo. We all loved him so much at the time and since there was no issue about how old I was, I just had to vote.

Is Awo still your favourite politician?

Oh yes. I refer to him as my mentor and hero. Awolowo will always be my favourite politician ever because all he did cannot be forgotten. If not because of leaders like him, I could not have been where I am today.

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His education legacies made it possible for the children from families that were not so rich to go to school. He was the voice of the masses and that’s why we loved him and we still do.

Did you vote during Saturday’s Presidential election?

Oh yes, I did.

How did people see ‘Baba Latin’ at the polling station?

They were all excited. All of them were so nice to me. Even the security men were excited. They told me to go to the front of the queue so that I could be attended to first but I said no. I decided to stand on the queue like everybody else. I had to caution myself amid all the excitement because what we were there for was important for the future of Nigerians. It is always like this anytime I voted in the past since I became popular.

What do you think of celebrities endorsing candidates during elections?

As an entertainer or artiste, endorsing a political candidate is good but, sometimes, it is bad. The bad part is that some artistes just go from one state to another or from one party to another, collecting money and endorsing candidates. The idea behind endorsing candidates has been abused and it is giving us bad reputation as artistes. If you have to endorse anybody, do it because of the good work he or she has done. It doesn’t have to be more than in one state.

Have you endorsed anybody?

Yes. I have endorsed the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, for a second term because of the infrastructural development he has brought to this state. What he has done in this state as far as I am concerned is still unsurpassed.

The truth is that no matter what you do as a politician, people would have one thing or another against you. Name 10 politicians whose reputation remains positive after assuming office. It is hard.

Would you consider contesting in the near future, like some of your colleagues?

Not at all.

Why?

Thank you. To me, politics in Nigeria is a very dirty game. Because you are popular and people like you as an entertainer does not mean you will be a good politician. It also does not mean that you won’t do bad things when you get there.

Seventy per cent of what politicians make is shared by the numerous people who follow them about and many other demands that come their way from the public. I am comfortable as an actor and okay with that.

So, you are not enticed by the huge money politicians make in Nigeria?

I have never even thought about that before. If I make N100m as a politician, hardly would I be able to spend N10m of that on myself. So, the huge amount you are referring to is even relative. Politicians spend money badly and yet they still become bad people at the end of the day. They are even run down by the same people who follow them about and make so much demand from them.