Seun Kuti: I was a fool when I campaigned for Tinubu in 1999

Seun Kuti, the Afrobeat singer, says he was a “fool” when he campaigned for Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos governor, in 1999.

Tinubu is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of this month’s election.

In a recent video, the controversial singer said he was “young and naïve” when he campaigned for the then-Lagos governor.

The musician, who is the son of Fela Kuti, the late Afrobeat icon, said he worked for Tinubu because of his father’s relationship with the politician.

Seun said despite his own relationship with Tinubu in 1999, he never used it as an opportunity to “behave recklessly”.

“Na me campaign for Tinubu in 1999. Why? Because I knew him with my father. I followed him. I did Yoruba politics. Yoruba would be free from this Nigeria because I was a fool. I was a fool in those days. I was young. I was naive. I believed in what I could see. But the more I understood, the more I learn,” he said in a mixture of Pidgin and English.

“I didn’t just stay in that position of privilege thinking that yes, I don arrive. I know Tinubu. I can do anything wey I like. While I was there, I continued to study, lead and develop my political consciousness.

“If what we are saying is true. If we are looking for the best way to be, then we must all continue in a certain way to work and be better. To be better knowledgeable. So, the more I continued to study, the more the evidence in front of me proved to me that these people are not what say they are.

“And I can guarantee you that Tinubu cannot say he has seen me in almost 10 years. More than 10 years if care is not taken. He cannot tell anybody that I saw Seun here or Seun called me there. And in more than 15 years he would tell you that Seun o ti se political anything pelu wa.

“As soon as I saw that what was happening there was false and selfish, I stepped away. It no longer matches my political consciousness. So, that’s growth and I accept that for everybody.”

I was a f00l when I campaigned for Tinubu in 1999 — Seun Kuti

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— Letstalk9jablog (@Letstalk9jablog) February 8, 2023

Seun recently attracted the ire of some social media users when he described Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, as “an opportunist”.