There is no doubt that Obalola’s childhood years have been fraught with numerous obstacles, especially regarding the fates of the parental figures in his life. But as he shows more grit and critical thinking than what one would expect from a child his age, Obalola quickly wins the favour and the respect of the adults around him. 

As a young adult however, it becomes clear that Obalola is a full blown thug—chairman of the Road Workers Union, Kazeem’s (played by Olarotimi Fakunle) henchman—with an obvious penchant for violence and intimidation. Obalola appears to have a moral compass and yet, due to his loyalty to Kazeem, he is willing to perpetuate violence on Kazeem’s behalf and even turn a blind eye to his murderous ways. We are made aware of Kazeem’s plans to run for office and his willingness to do just about anything to assume the coveted position of power, aided and abetted of course, by Obalola, Gift and Ify, among other henchmen.

Despite this, as the viewers, we see life in Isale Eko mostly from Obalola’s perspective, we are privy to his inner thoughts and desires and, as a result, we find ourselves rooting for him because of his apparent depth and sensitivity.

FROM CHILD’S PLAY TO POWER PLAY

When they were children, Obalola and his friends, including Kazeem’s daughter, Teni (played by Bimbo Ademoye), talked about their dreams at length. Teni, who was a bright young girl, made it clear that her ambition was to become as educated as she could possibly be, eventually rising in the ranks to become a judge. Years on, however, Teni levelled with Obalola upon her return to Nigeria in the lead up to the elections her father would be running in, that all that mattered to her now was power. She cited her father, Kazeem’s rise to power in Isale Eko and how his lack of education had not held him back in any way. She said this as though it were a good thing, as if it was the way things ought to be for everyone.

This scene struck me as a particularly important one, as so many are inspired by the ‘lax’ requirements around running for office in Nigeria, hoping, presumably, that one day, they too will have the opportunity to seize power that they are not qualified to hold.