AGN stakeholders to meet over Elisha Abbo’s appointment as patron

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) says it will hold stakeholders meeting to address the controversy that trailed the recent appointment of Elisha Abbo, senator representing Adamawa north, as patron of the body.

Emeka-Rollas Ejezie, national president of the guild, disclosed this to NAN on Thursday in Abuja.

Abbo was installed as a patron of the AGN at its 9th biennial lecture held on March 11, while Ned Nwoko, husband of Regina Daniels, was appointed chairman of the board of national patrons.

The lawmaker’s appointment has stirred unpleasant reactions on social media from some industry watchers and players, including some female members of the association, who argued that he was not suitable for such position.

Kate Henshaw and Hilda Dokunbo had hitched their argument on a viral video that emerged on the internet where the lawmaker was seen beating a nursing mother in a sex toy shop in Abuja last year.

Consequently, some northern actors were said to have threatened to leave the guild if Abbo is removed as a patron of the group.

Jimmy Lot, chairman of the Adamawa state chapter of the AGN, said that the lawmaker was recommended for the appointment because of his tremendous work and support to actors and youths in the north-east.

“Those people raising issues, do they think that there are no women in the North or in Adamawa that can fight the Senator,” he said.

“We the Adamawa chapter recommended him because of his performance to his constituency, and so based on his performance we rated him and recommended him to the national AGN.”

As a result of this, the AGN president said the guild was to hold stakeholders meeting on March 23 in Lagos to address all views and objections concerning the appointment of its patrons.

He, however, frowned at the decision of some of the guild’s members to express their opinions and displeasure on social media.

“We have fixed a stakeholders meeting for Monday and put out a notice for members to come, so let them come and talk about it,” he said.

“We don’t run our guild on social media because we are one big family.”