Nigerian skit maker and social commentator Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has explained why he became less vocal about the government and stopped publicly airing some of his grievances.
The content creator while featuring as a guest on Wazobia FM, said he had received serious threats to his life following his outspoken views on political issues, adding that the situation also affected his family.
Mr Macaroni made the disclosure while responding to Nigerians who had questioned why he no longer speaks as openly about the government and the state of the country as he did in the past.
According to him, the thr£@ts became so serious that his family members were constantly worried about his safety.
He said his mother would frequently call him in tears, pleading with him to be careful, while the family also noticed strange movements around their home.
“At risk to my life, threats here and there, serious thr£@ts. My family had no time; they were every time calling and crying. They were calling me to say, ‘Please.’ My mother, every blessed time,” he said.
Mr Macaroni recalled that the situation became so bad that people close to him wanted him to leave Nigeria for his safety. However, he said he refused to leave because he believed he had done nothing wrong.
“It was so bad they wanted me out of the country. I said, ‘For what? I am not running anywhere,’” he said.
He also reflected on his activities following the 2020 #EndSARS protests, explaining that he continued to speak publicly during the period leading up to the 2023 general elections.
According to him, he made several videos and posts encouraging Nigerians to vote wisely and was open about the candidate he personally intended to support.
After EndSARS, the election time came. I didn’t go silent after EndSARS; I still came out. I said we must vote wisely. I did a series of videos, tweets, and a lot of people did the same, saying vote wisely, do this, do that wisely,” he said.
He stressed that although he disclosed the candidate he intended to vote for, he never instructed Nigerians to vote for the same person.
“I said this is the person I will vote for. I did not say everybody should go and vote for this person. I said because of what I have seen, I believe this person is the best at this time to lead us, the most competent at the moment. You have the right to vote for whoever you want to vote for, but for me, this is who I will vote for,” he explained.
Mr Macaroni said his political position at the time attracted heavy criticism, insults and curses from some Nigerians.
He added that regardless of the controversies surrounding the election, Nigeria has a president, and the country continues to deal with the consequences of its political decisions.
“See curse, see insult. People voted. Whether they rigg£d or not, I don’t know, but we have a president, yes or no, we have one president,” he said.
Addressing those who continue to tag him on X and ask why he is no longer speaking out about the country’s problems, the comedian said the situation has not stopped affecting him personally.
He explained that he is also affected by the challenges Nigerians are facing, but questioned what more he could say after repeatedly raising concerns about the same issues in the past.
Now the situation of the country is affecting me too, just like everyone. So what do you expect me to come and say again? People always tag me on Twitter or X, ‘Mr Macaroni, you are not saying anything.’ What will I say? We said it, but it looks like we were the ones who didn’t know what we were saying,” he said.
He clarified that his decision to speak less about the government should not be interpreted as an indication that he no longer cares about the country.
Rather, he said the threats he faced played a major role in his decision to become more cautious about publicly discussing political matters.
“I am not saying that is why I am not talking much, but if you also look at it, there is an undertone to it because we said it. I even came out crying, saying that these people are threatening me,” he said.
Mr Macaroni added that the safety of his family became another major concern for him, particularly after his mother began reporting suspicious activity around their home.
“I stopped talking about the government because I was receiving so many threats, and my family wasn’t safe. My mom would call me crying that there were strange movements around the house. They wanted to fly me out, but I said, ‘No, I’m staying.’”
His comments have since sparked reactions online, with many Nigerians discussing the risks public figures can face when they openly express their political views. See less
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