Independence Day: 10 politically conscious Nigerian celebrities you should know

As Nigeria marks it's 58th independence day, we take a look at ten very politically conscious celebrities from back in the days and in recent times.

Happy Independence day guys from the celebrity desk and as usual this year we will be talking about your favourite celebrities but this time from a different angle.

Celebrities apart from being very famous have consciously and unconsciously amassed followership from a lot of fans over the years. In some cases, these celebrities are known for their flamboyant lifestyle while some others are known for their political consciousness.

These celebrities have used their talent and platform to either call out the government, push for government's accountability or even bring the country together as one. Today we will be looking at in no particular order, ten politically conscious Nigerian celebrities we all know.

1. Ali Baba

 

One would think that being a comedian makes you the funny guy who probably is a novice when it comes to knowing about the political climate of your country. Well, Ali Baba apart from being a veteran in the game is one celebrity who knows his onions when it comes to the politics of Nigeria.

 

If you follow him on his Instagram page, you'd get to see a comedian who dissects political topics like a politician. Even though Alibaba hasn't run or shown any interest in politics, we feel like one day, he might answer the clarion call and just join the list of celebrities who transcend from entertainment to politics.

2. Fela Kuti

Abami Eda as he was fondly called was and remains the most politically conscious celebrity has lived in Nigeria. We need not go into details of all the records he made in the 70s, 80s up until the 90s and how he dragged the government in most of those songs. Fela was known to be fearless, vocal and persistent towards the government of those eras.

At some point, he lost his house, had his mother thrown from a storey building because he was seen as a threat to the government. He didn't relent, as he kept on calling out the government up until he died in 1997.

3. Yul Edochie

 

Yul Edochie is one of those celebrities you'd think will stay from politics and concentrate on being a celebrity and living the flamboyant lifestyle. He actually isn't any of that as his sojourn towards becoming a politician came as a surprise. Yul started off by posting videos where he talked about social issues on his Instagram page.

 

It didn't take long before he began to post videos, sharing his own views about the political situation in the country. Obviously wanting to step his game up, Yul decided to run for governor of his home state, Anambra. Even though he didn't, he remained passionate about his dream which earned an appointment with the Anambra state governor as Senior Special Assistant on Creative Media and Entertainment.

4. Charly Boy

 

Charles Oputa popularly known as Charly Boy was one of the biggest singers in the 80s and early 90s. Charly Boy is one of those celebrities who has remained relevant for a very long time. He is one of those very vocal celebrities and activist which has endeared him to many hence his other nickname, Area Father.

 

Over the last decade, Charly Boy has remained one of the critics of the government. He is never shy to call out the government. Most recently he has been very vocal about the state of the nation. Charly Boy has been able to bring out a number of people to protest at various major cities in the country.

5. Sunny Okosun

 

A lot of the 1990s babies might not really know who Sunny Okosun is but trust us guys, he was one of the biggest artists in the late 1970s and 1980s. Sunny Okosun was one of those celebrities back in the days that we would call multi-talented as he was able to create both politically conscious music and at the same time he made music that could set the mood for lovers (Lol).

 

His 1985 hit song "Which Way Nigeria" remains one of the biggest songs created from this part of the world that spoke deeply about the social issues bothering the country. Lest we forget his 1977 song "Fire In Soweto" which talked about the then apartheid in South Africa. Even though Sunny Okosun is late, we still can't forget how joined forces with other African musicians through music to push for the release of Nelson Mandela from prison.

6. Onyeka Onwenu

 

This list will never be complete without the mention of the elegant and influential woman, Onyeka Onwenu. Onyeka Onwenu has remained a very well respected and powerful celebrity since her sojourn to music over three decades ago. She is not just an amazing singer but an actor whose acting prowess has no rivalry.

 

When it comes to being politically current, Onyeka Onwenu stands out. Her political consciousness can be traced back to her 1986 hit song "One Love" which till date is still used as a unifying song for our country Nigeria. Onyeka Onwenu's political relevance has transcended to various governments. Even though she isn't really an activist, she has come out, at different times to talk about certain issues like the case of the Christian student, Leah Sharibu who has been held captive by Boko Haram for months.

7. Ruggedman

 

When Ruggedman won his way through the hearts of many Nigerians through his rap music in the early 2000s we all knew he going to be different. He was seen as the game changer of the Nigerian rap industry and became controversial because of his lyrics. If we only knew Ruggedman's controversial lyrics were just signs of a very politically conscious celebrity in the making.

 

Over the last few years, Ruggedman has become more like a voice for the voiceless Nigerians who have been harassed and brutalised by men of the Nigerian Police Force. If you take a close look at his social media pages, you'd see a very passionate and vocal Ruggedman who has gone after the police for every time they have harassed innocent members of the public including fellow celebrities.

8. I Go Dye

 

Just like Ali Baba, another comedian who is very vocal and always quick to drag the government of the day is I Go Dye. Some people might be wondering how I Go Dye became a huge critic of the government. Well, we were also surprised when he became a constant thorn in the flesh of the government.

 

From the former vice-president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar to the present president, Muhammadu Buhari, I Go Dye has at one time or the other taken these guys to the cleaners. His most recent outburst was when he called out the former governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan.

9. Daddy Showkey

 

Daddy Showkey has always been seen as not just the singer from Ajegunle who has the amazing grass to grace story. He has been able to use that story to showcase how stories of poor and ordinary Nigerians can change. Since the advent of social media, he has become a face for his people.

 

Earlier in 2018, he revealed that his life was under threat because of his insistence that the very influential owner of petroleum tankers parking at Ajegunle show leave. However, in a recent interview with Ebuka's "Rubbin Minds," he revealed that he might be joining politics soon because of the love he has for his people in Ajegunle.

10. Seun Kuti

 

Apart from looking like his late father, Fela Kuti, physically, Seun Kuti has a lot of other attributes of the music legend. Talking about attributes he shares with his late father, Seun Kuti is quite a vocal young man. Even though his style is kind of different from that of Fela, he is never shy from using the social media to call out the government.

 

Seun Kuti just doesn't talk about social issues but political trends. He is known to be very blunt and ready to drag the government anytime there is a burning issue. A few months ago, Seun Kuti made some comments as regards to the collection of the Personal Voters Card (PVC). He has a massive followership on social media and they are always ready to read and adhere to his tweets and Instagram statements.