Protest: ‘I supported Tinubu but wasn’t paid’ – Portable alleges

Controversial singer Portable has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged his services without compensation during the 2023 campaign for its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

In a now-viral Instagram live on Friday, Portable revealed why he boycotted the protest and expressed his displeasure with the President.

He said: “I supported Tinubu but was not paid (referring to the 2023 presidential election campaign). We were the ones who supported him (Mr Tinubu) without receiving any money. Since then, I’ve been minding my own business. I did not interact with anyone, and no one interacted with me. They (APC and Mr Tinubu) used me, and I remained calm. Do not let them use you again.

“Truly, we are hungry; everywhere is scattered, but it doesn’t mean we should not be killing ourselves or burning out houses, claiming we are fighting the government. Let’s be calm because the government will not lose anything. Instead, we are losing. You (protesters) said we shouldn’t go out to work for ten days. What will I eat? There’ll be trouble; should I be at home and be making money online?”

On Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES reported that ‘EndBadGovernance’ protests began in some states across the country. The hunger protest, which turned violent in some states, entered its fourth day today.

Previous call out

This wasn’t the singer’s first call to Mr Tinubu and his party. On 26 May 2023, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the 30-year-old, who positioned himself as a non-partisan citizen during the general election, accused them of ingratitude.

The ‘Zazzu Zehh’ crooner made the allegations after being excluded from the list of artistes that performed at the inauguration concert for him and his vice, Kashim Shettima, tagged ‘Renewed Hope Concert’ on 29 May.

The singer claimed that some musicians who performed at the inauguration never supported or showed interest in Mr Tinubu.

The Ogun-born singer claimed Mr Tinubu and APC had overlooked him despite working for his emergence as president.

Additionally, he accused the APC of reducing the N10 million offered by Mr Tinubu’s inauguration concert organisers to N5 million, which he rejected. He claimed this was the reason for his absence at the concert.

Ask Tinubu

Furthermore, in a snippet of his upcoming song on Sunday, ‘Gba Wire’ produced by Shockerbeatz, the singer calls on Nigerians to question Mr Tinubu’s role in the nation’s challenges.

Portable said he would run for political office instead of participating in anti-government protests.

The song lyrics read thus: “Enemies are angry because I didn’t protest. I’d rather contest than protest because no rich man wants to die. Go and ask Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu), who sells Nigeria. Why do we wake up to suffering in Nigeria every day? You (the government) can’t deceive me again. That was an ignorant time, and it won’t happen again.

“You (the government) can’t end my destiny. God lights up the glory, and you can’t kill it. I should collect money (wire) instead of burning tyres. If you collect money, you can buy a car. You’re fighting for Nigeria; if they catch you, you’ll suffer. Nigeria is okay; it’s you that’s not okay. They said I should protest, but do rich men protest? A rich man wouldn’t want to die.”

Portable explained that he identifies more with the wealthy than the poor and said he didn’t join the protests.

He warned protesters against confronting armed security forces, claiming that their deaths would have no consequences.

“A poor man’s way of thinking differs from a rich man’s. Rest in peace to those who have died during the protest. You’re protesting and facing guns; if you die, nobody will care for you. In Nigeria, thieves carry and take what they want. Who is selling Nigeria? Please ask Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu), who sells Nigeria,” he noted.

Background

This newspaper reported that Portable, among other celebrities at the forefront of the October 2020 14-day End Sars protest against police brutality, was absent during the ongoing protest. 

Despite their physical absence, some celebrities threw their weight behind protesting Nigerians on their social handles, while others ignored it.

In an Instagram post, Portable, a participant in the 2020 End SARS protests, justified his absence from the current demonstrations, claiming his wealth prevented him from engaging in such actions.

In another video via his Instagram story, he said, “I value my life, I am not protesting. Do you know how many shows I have collected? Do you know the debt on the ground? I have money to make. I should go and protest so that they will shoot me? I will not protest.”