Pete Edochie Is My Senior By Age, But I Senior Him In This Work” — Yemi Solade
Legendary Yoruba actor, Yemi Solade, has reignited the debate over the history of filmmaking and theatre in Nigeria, insisting that Yoruba actors and filmmakers were already active in the industry before the emergence of Nollywood.
Solade acknowledged that veteran actor Pete Edochie is older than him, saying he would respectfully greet Edochie if they met. However, he maintained that he has seniority over him when it comes to acting because Yoruba theatre and filmmaking predated what is now known as Nollywood.
“Pete Edochie is my senior by age. If he enters this place now, I will go down to greet him, but I senior him in this work. We’ve been acting in Yorubaland before Nollywood. His people are always trying to undermine my tribe and saying they started Nollywood.
“We’ve been acting before Nollywood started. Even Nollywood, we started it. I cannot watch and let anyone undermine my tribe. Because others didn’t talk doesn’t mean I should not talk. I want to grow old like him, but I started acting before him, same way some people started before me.
“Jide Kosoko cannot start talking now and I will be talking back at him when it comes to the industry. The press, media and newspapers caused this. They only go to English movie makers to ask questions. My people don’t really care about these things, but we need to set the record straight.
“I started before him. Yoruba people started making movies before any tribe in Nigeria. It’s fact, fact doesn’t care about emotions. People like Muka Ray, Peju Ogunmola and others were born into this and acted since they were small. They started before me too,” Solade said.
