Nigerian actor and social commentator Adebowale Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has explained why he has scaled back his public criticism of government, citing fatigue from repeating the same messages, backlash from citizens, and threats he faced.
Mr Macaroni was reacting to a video posted by Wazobia FM on Tuesday, where he spoke about life threats he received over EndSARS protests.
In a series of posts on X on Wednesday, the skit maker clarified that the interview was more than two years old but maintained that the points he raised remain valid.
“Forget about the threats. My issue with us as Nigerians is how we move on quickly. We complain and move on. There is nothing I will say now that I haven’t already said hundred times over. Until we as a people are ready to fight for what is ours, saying the same thing over and over again is just TIRING,” he wrote.
In a follow-up post, he pointed to a March 2026 statement in which he described the administration of President Bola Tinubu as “the Most Useless Government in the history of Useless Governments” and said that day marked the moment he decided to take a break.
He added that a small number of politicians continue to ruin the lives of over 200 million Nigerians “so brazenly without any resistance.”
Until Nigerians abandon “survival mentality” that keeps citizens operating in survival mode rather than demanding an enabling environment for success, “then we are truly not ready,” he added.
In another post, Mr Macaroni addressed perceptions around his reduced commentary.
“I have been persecuted and vilified since I started speaking up against Government. Threats are a usual occurrence. Please don’t mix things up. I am only tired of saying the same thing over and over again. When Nigerians are finally ready, I will be ready too! But till then, please let me continue enjoying my break by redefining myself and Art, which I love as dearly as I love Nigeria.”
The Wazobia FM video captures earlier remarks in which Mr Macaroni detailed the personal cost of his activism.
He said speaking out often made him appear to be “the troublesome person,” while some of the Nigerians he sought to represent turned against him.
“Nigeria is a very funny country. Nigerians are also very funny. And I say this with all seriousness, because I’m not so happy about how things have been. And you keep talking, and it seems like you are the troublesome person. It seems like na you be the—the same Nigerians that you speak for turn against you. They start to fight you,” he said.
Mr Macaroni, who said he was not interested in joining politics, also expressed concern about the effect of the political environment on people he once admired.
He recalled how some people he looked up to from his secondary school and university days entered politics and, according to him, damaged the legacies they had built.
Speaking about his activities after #EndSARS, Mr Macaroni said he continued to speak out despite threats to his life and concerns raised by his family.
“So, you know, End SARS came at risk to my life, threats here and there, serious threats. My family, no time, they were every time calling me, crying, ‘Debo, please. Debo, please.’ Every—every blessed time, my mother. Every blessed time. It was so bad they wanted to fly me out of the country. I said, ‘For what? I’m not running anywhere,’” he said.
He said he also remained active during the 2023 election, encouraging Nigerians to vote wisely and stating his preferred candidate without asking others to vote for the same person.
“And I didn’t—I didn’t go silent after End SARS. I still came out. I said, ‘We must vote wisely.’ I did series of videos, series of tweets, series of—and not only me, a lot of other people too did, saying, ‘Vote wisely. Do this, do that wisely.’ And I said, ‘Okay, this is the person me I will vote for.’ I did not say vote—everybody should go and vote for this person,” he said.
He said the response to his position included insults and abuse.
“See curse, see insult. ‘You are a omo ale, you are this one, you are that one.’ Now, everybody—people vote. Whether, uh, rig, I no know, there no rig, e—e no concern me, but president dey, yes or no? E dey,” he said.
Mr Macaroni said the outcome of the election also contributed to his reluctance to repeatedly speak on political matters.
“Now, everything don dey as e be. Is affecting me too. But what—okay, okay, oya, what should I come and say again now?” he said.
Source: punchng.com
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