Veteran actor Kola Olaiya has criticised fellow actor Pete Edochie over the ongoing debate about seniority in Nigeria’s film industry, accusing him of failing to acknowledge the contributions of earlier theatre practitioners.
Olaiya made the remarks during a recent episode of Oyinmomo TV, uploaded on Friday, following renewed discussions sparked by comments from Edochie and Yoruba theatre veteran Lere Paimo.
Describing Edochie as proud, Olaiya questioned his alleged reluctance to recognise older generations of Nigerian actors.
“Pete Edochie is a proud human being. I have known him for long. Pride is in his blood. That is why he cannot respect elders,” Olaiya said.
He argued that Nigerian theatre existed long before Edochie became prominent, citing theatre pioneer Hubert Ogunde, who began his theatrical career in 1944 after resigning from the police.
“Before they gave birth to Pete Edochie, Ogunde had been acting. That is why he cannot admit that some people started before him. Ogunde started theatre in 1944, when he resigned as a police officer,” he said.
Olaiya also identified Oyin Adejobi, Duro Ladipo and Kola Ogunmola as pioneers who made significant contributions to Nigerian theatre before Edochie’s emergence.
He maintained that Edochie’s seniority within his region should not automatically establish him as the most senior actor in the country.
“I do not know if he is the first in his region and has no superior; that is fine. But in the whole of Nigeria? No,” Olaiya stated.
The controversy intensified after Edochie said on Isbae U’s Curiosity Made Me Ask podcast that he began acting in 1962 at the age of 15, including a performance in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.
The debate has reignited discussions about the history of Nigerian theatre and film, as well as the contributions of practitioners from different generations and regions.
