Mr Ibu Joins ‘Obi-dients’ Train, Dumps Atiku, PDP For Obi, LP
BY EDMOND ODOK – Popular Nollywood actor, John Okafor aka ‘Mr Ibu’ has officially joined the ‘Obidients’ moving train by dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Labour Party (LP).
The Veteran thespian sparked mixed reactions online after joining thousands of Nigerians to rally and declare support for the LP’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Known for staunchly supporting the PDP presidential flag bearer, Abubakar Atiku, Mr Ibu was conspicuously seen at the LP’s rally ground exchanging pleasantries and a warm handshake with the former Anambra state governor and his supporters.
After explaining to the cheering crowd at the LP political rally why he decided to dump the PDP, photos, and videos of the actor at the Jos event have continued to make rounds on social media.
In one of the videos, the crowd could be heard hailing the 60-year-old who wore a branded polo with the Labour Party logo and pictures of Peter Obi and his running mate Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.
The Nollywood star performer had, during a conference meeting in November 2021 with the theme, ‘South West Stands with Bola Tinubu’, openly endorsed the former Governor of Lagos, saying he has really impacted many people.
A video that went viral last year, showed the actor and some of his colleagues, like Foluke Daramola, Harry Anyanwu, and Benedict Johnson, in a meeting with members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu’s campaign team.
However, following a backlash from critics over the engagement visit, Mr Ibu was forced to release a statement denying he had endorsed Tinubu for president.
Claiming that his allegiance was with former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and not Tinubu, he said; “I am a completely independent person in the area I perform, I am a comedian, a musician, and an actor. I don’t know why this is going around like this. I have never run any sideways.
“For a long time, it has been me and Atiku all this while. He has been taking me to places and if Atiku is contesting for president, certainly because he has done a lot of things for me, there was a time he changed a house for me. He is like a father to me. He is contesting for president under PDP.”
He had then also boasted: “Atiku is my candidate, these are my people, anybody I visited is simply because I’m an actor and they want me to assist them one way or the other in whatever they are doing. That does not mean I abandoned them. I did not.”
