Nollywood producer Seun Oloketuyi has described his forthcoming movie, ‘The Exco’, as his own way of protesting against Nigeria’s leadership shortcomings, saying he uses filmmaking as a platform to tell the truth about the country’s political and social realities.
Oloketuyi made the statement on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s breakfast show, ‘The Morning Brief’, where he discussed the message behind his soon-to-be-released political drama.
According to the producer, while some citizens take to the streets or social media to express dissatisfaction with government leadership, his way of speaking truth to power was through storytelling.
“I tell people that this is how I intend to protest how our country is in terms of leadership and the rest,” Oloketuyi said.
“I can’t go on the street to protest like other people, and I can’t go on social media to start attacking others. This is the power that I have—to tell our story and say, ‘this is how we are.’”
Oloketuyi explained that ‘The Exco’ reflects the complex relationship between Nigerian citizens, politicians, and the structures of governance.
He stressed that the country’s problems were not limited to bad leadership but extended to the attitudes and actions of ordinary citizens.
“The problem is not only with the leadership; it’s with all of us—the leadership, the politicians, and the people,” he said.
“People who collect money from politicians to support them, or to vote for them, and then expect them to perform miracles after they get into office, are part of the problem.”
The filmmaker argued that Nollywood should move beyond its traditional focus on romance and comedy to explore deeper, socially relevant narratives that provoke thought and inspire change.
“In Nollywood, we shouldn’t just be talking about love. It’s good that we love each other, and our comedy films help us laugh away the stress we face every day,” he said.
“But this is also the time to send a message—to ourselves and to our politicians.”
Speaking further, Oloketuyi said the release of ‘The Exco’ was timely as political activities wsre already intensifying ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Especially now that the 2027 election is coming and everybody is running around, this is the right time to tell the story,” he noted.
