Business is business and politics is one of the biggest businesses known to man. If you are going to profit from politics, one very important condition is to be famous, rich, or both.
Our case scenarios are household names in Nigeria, two of them, Wizkid and Tuface are internationally known pop artists, while Linda Ikeji is a Nigerian blogger who also has an international audience.
Politicians while campaigning to the general public need allies like these to help them increase their appeal. Endorsements from musicians can be a bit more complicated than endorsements from media practitioners.
When the PDP and APC approached Linda Ikeji ahead of the 2015 elections and asked her to take advertisements, she asked her fans for their blessing almost, and then she got into bed with some of the devils that are ruining Nigeria.
When Wizkid was approached, reportedly by rapper MI Abaga on behalf of a political party, he declined the offer.
On the #LooseTalkPodcast, Abaga revealed, “I sat down with Wizkid and Wizkid didn’t take the deal, I sat down with Olamide, sat down with a lot of artistes.
“Someone like Wizkid, sorry I am putting people’s business out there, someone like Wizkid was offered stupid money and Wizkid said no, Wizkid said I am not going to go either side I’m just going to stay neutral.”
African queen crooner Tuface has a history of having no scruples with aligning with one political party or the other. Throughout his career, he has made many friends in high places among the men that collectively control 1% of Nigeria’s wealth. Endorsing them by performing at their campaigns, and even on occasion receiving gifts from political juggernauts.
There is no standard operating procedure for how to lobby your success in a place like Nigeria, however full kudos have to go to Wizkid for leaving an indelible blueprint that future generations can follow on how to conduct oneself on controversial matters.