Entertainment & SocietyKunle Afolayan Apologises To Mike Ezuruonye Says He Was Misunderstood

Kunle Afolayan Apologises To Mike Ezuruonye Says He Was Misunderstood

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SAM FRANCISCO, September 28, (THEWILL) – Popular movie director and actor, Kunle Afolayan, has reacted to a post by popular Nollywood actor, Mike Ezuruonye, calling him a tribalist.

Ezuruonye had berated the ace director on Sunday for calling him a fraudster.

Afolayan had shared a direct message screenshot which accused Ezuruonye of scamming women. The filmmaker also attached a caption that read: “Help Me, He wants to kill me”.

This infuriated Ezuronye who took to his Instagram account describing Afolayan as a tribalist that a record of hating Igbos.

He wrote: “U now acting like u don’t know impersonators are using Actors/Musicians/politicians /celebs fake profiles and videos to Defraud people world over???? Or haven’t u seen the ones caught in my respect and even jailed for impersonating me by @officialefcc ????

“Why am I surprised, you’ve always HATED IGBOS. Are we going to forget in the Press ur statement years ago saying “IGBOS are the ones spoiling the movie industry..U don’t like casting them.” Well this IGBO ain’t like u cos he was born in Lagos and speaks flawless Yoruba. And loves the Yoruba people U Tribalistic human!!!!!”

Reacting to this development, Afolayan said he was misunderstood as he intended to “jocularly send a message to purveyors of fake news and unproven allegations that they should free him and by extension his other colleagues of such mindless allegations”.

He said: “While I did not see my innocent reaction to an indicting post by a random IG follower as capable of further hurting my friend and colleague, Mike Ezuruonye, to be labelled a tribalist in retaliation is very unfortunate. Honestly, I was misunderstood. My reaction, which was rather spontaneous, was to chide the IG follower who appeared to be reporting the actor to me. And I merely asked (in Yoruba) how all of that was my business. It was like saying ‘when did I become an officer of the law’. Obviously, my colleague took the context of my post wrongly and angrily accused me of tribalism.

“I do not know what gave birth to such misrepresentation. However, while I am famous for living and promoting everything that my tradition stands for as a Yoruba man, I have maintained a mutual friendship with people of other extractions, Igbos especially. It is therefore not in the interest of both of us (Mike Ezuruonye and I) to politicise our emotion with tribal colouration. For me, this is undeserving of our other friends, and goes to offend the sensibility of genuine relationships we have each cultivated with people of other tribes.”

On the claim that he is a tribalist, he said: “The ideals are reflected in the themes and plots of my movies, some of which include; The Figurine, The Bridge, Phone Swap, Omugwo, and Roti.”

“I have told Mike ‘I’m sorry’ since he found my post offensive. I am also apologising to anyone who also may have seen things from his point of view. Ire o.”

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