Famous actor Yul Edochie has played the role of Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate, in a two-part movie on YouTube.
It is coming barely three weeks before the Nigerian presidential elections, which will be held on the 25th of February.
Titled ‘Peter Obi’, the movie is produced by Rockcelly TV, a Nollywood movie production outfit.
Anaele Dominic, the CEO of Rockcelly TV, says the movie, whose two parts were released 24 hours apart, is coming at a critical time when Nigeria is gearing towards the election.
“It behoves us as citizens to make our contributions. Me being a filmmaker, I used film as a tool to create my impact on our beloved country by dropping this never seen kind of movie,” he noted.
Changing narratives
Mr Dominic noted that aside from changing the narrative, the movie intends to decide the future of Nigeria, bringing to our consciousness what and who we need as a leader to pilot the affairs of this great country.
“I’m super proud of this great project I made for not just myself or you but for future generations. I urge you and everyone to watch on YouTube to know that a new Nigeria is possible.
“As a filmmaker, most times we entertain, commercialise and educate with our works, but this is for legacy, for my lineage to be proud of me and also showcase the good qualities of my principal, His Exc. Peter Obi of the Labour Party,” he wrote.
Peter Obi, the movie
Written by Dominic, the movie also stars Ify Eze, Chioma Ifemeludike, Demian Edward, Ifeanyi Azodo, Marvelous Ekuma, and many others.
From the trailer, one would think the movie is a parody, but a few minutes into watching it, this newspaper noticed that it was an attempt to launder Mr Obi’s personality.
Yul’s attempt to mimic the LP candidate’s low-pitched voice fell flat and has earned the actor a lot of flak on social media.
Some also wonder why he was chosen to play the character.
The movie portrays the Labour Party’s candidate as a miser who would rather spend money giving food to the less privileged than enjoy a night of fine dining.
Due to his non-conformist lifestyle, he is constantly at loggerheads with his family, friends, members of society and even his wife.
As told by the movie, despite all that, he sticks to his ways and is a stickler for facts, using his campaign slogan, “go and verify”.
It also captures his simplistic lifestyle reflected in his mode of dressing and the little bag he’s always known to carry around.
Presidential elections
The 2023 presidential elections are said to be one of the most keenly contested in Nigeria’s political history.
Other major contenders for the highest seat in the land are The All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu, The People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Although he started with a lean support base, the Labour Party’s Mr Obi has been able to grow his supporters to the point where he has been getting international attention.
Among his campaign messaging is the slogan, “A New Nigeria Is Possible,” drawing on the initials of his name.
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