Nigerians have complained about every president except Murtala, Yar’Adua — Veteran actor

The ace actor, Murphy Ray-Eyiwumi, has said Nigerians have criticised every president who has governed the country, with only two exceptions.

In a recent interview on the Talk To B podcast, the actor noted that all Nigerian leaders have faced public backlash, except Murtala Muhammed and the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Ray explained that both leaders spent relatively brief periods in office, which he believes influenced how they are remembered by the public.

“There is no president that has ruled this country that we have not complained about, except for Muritala, who was killed after six months and Yar’Adua, who died untimely; they are the only ones. Aside from these two, which other presidents have we prayed for in this country? Muritala was killed because he was a military man,” he said.

Ray-Eyiwumi comes from the well-known Eyiwumi family, recognised for its influence in early Nollywood. He began his acting career in the late 1990s and has since established a strong presence in the Yoruba film industry, featuring in over 100 productions.

Some of his notable works include ‘Botife’, ‘Okunkun Biribiri’, ‘Okanjua’, ‘Baba Elesin’, ‘Oduduwa’, ‘Iboji’, ‘Esu Masemi’ and ‘Eewo Orisa’.