The 44-year-old actress, who became a Nollywood sensation for her role in Jenifa’s Diary, which earned her the nickname “Jenifa,” may be calling it quits.
Funke Akindele Bello
Filmmaker and politician, Funke Akindele has disclosed her plans to step away from Nollywood to focus on her political career, as she hints at ‘Battle on Bukka Street as her last movie.
While confirming her PDP deputy governorship candidacy in July, Akindele said that she was ready to pay the price of facing politics, which would mean temporarily halting her career in the Nigerian film industry.
In an interview with Punch’s Deji Lambo, the filmmaker stated that her most recent film, ‘Battle on Buka street is her final project before delving fully into politics.
The actress, who is running to become the next deputy governor of Lagos State, claimed that she would still be present in the background to guide and monitor the newcomers, she is only allowing them to carry on with the work.
Funke made this revelation when asked about her involvement in the new project. She said: “a great change has happened positively if you noticed. From being an actor, I also write, produce, direct and discover new faces. So, I have passed the baton of production to the young people because I have moved into politics now. So, ‘Battle on Buka Street’ is like a farewell because I am going to be the next deputy governor of Lagos State. So, I am passing the baton to the new ones because we need to give them an opportunity. Yes, I will be in the background to advise and supervise them, but let them be the face, let us celebrate them, are you not tired of seeing old faces?”
She went further to detail the struggles that came with producing the movie.
“It was tedious; I filmed ‘Battle on Buka Street’ when I was down, emotionally I was down, and this was before politics. So, rather than sitting down crying, I had to braze up because a lot of young people are looking up to me in the entertainment industry as we do work together. So, I can’t just sit down; I just pushed past all the pain and put the emotions into the project and today we see the big thing happening and I am excited about that,” she said to Lambo.
In July, the Nollywood actress said that she’d be venturing fully into politics when the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Olajide Adediran, picked her as his running mate for the 2023 general election.
