Veteran Nollywood actor Tony Umez has denounced a widely circulated story that claimed a certain leading presidential candidate had promised him a certain amount of money in exchange for his support prior to the general elections.
According to Naija News, the actor claimed that the allegations about him favoring a particular leading contender were false and fabrications in a recent interview with Punch Newspaper.
The actor claims that openly promoting someone is not his style and that only his close friends and family are aware of his support for a certain cause.
He insisted that no one approached him asking for an endorsement and emphasized that he has a favored choice.
“That report is untrue, and I don’t know where it came from,” he declared. I have not had any requests for anything. I wasn’t asked to recommend somebody for N10m by anyone. I have a candidate in mind.
“I haven’t openly endorsed any candidates because it’s not how I roll. But those who know me well understand who I am backing. Any person who chooses to publicly support a candidate is doing so at their own discretion. I’m not sure if the person is acting in this way to make money or to get attention in exchange for material benefits.
“I don’t know if the entertainers who have endorsed candidates were paid or not. Nobody can be made to support a candidate against their will. Politics is an activity. Each of us has a justification for backing a certain candidate. No one has the right to criticize me if my reasons for supporting a candidate do not appeal to them.
“It’s just that there is a widespread sense of indignation and anger due to what our country is going through. According to what is happening right now, some individuals feel that endorsing a certain person is a disservice to the country. Politics is a game, that much is clear. Anyone can play it, but they shouldn’t offend anyone by doing so.
