‘Baba Kekere’, a movie chronicling the life and times of elder statesman and revered politician, late Lateef Kayode Jakande, is in the pipeline.
The biopic is being put together by the trio of entertainment industry stakeholders, Dele Momodu, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe and Seun Oloketuyi.
The biopic will be directed by maestro filmmaker and storyteller, Tade Ogidan, with pre-production of the movie scheduled for this month although the exact date and timeline are still to be announced.
The movie, which according to the producers is a one-of-a-kind biopic, will tell the story of the life of Jakande drawing on both public and private facts.
According to Momodu, a biopic on Jakande is necessary to illustrate his selflessness.
“One of the things we want to achieve with Baba Kekere the movie is that these days, many youths believe that going into politics is merely a means to an end. They believe it is all for money and not service. The life of Jakande is a perfect example that shows that many times, politics is not about money, it is about service,” he said.
For Anyiam-Osigwe, biopics are important kind of films to make because they remind people of historical lessons. A movie about the life and times of a phenomenal man like Jakande would be a thorough lesson for those coming after who did not get the privilege of experiencing him.
On the choice of the title, Oloketuyi shared that Baba Kekere was a fond moniker for Jakande. “Many people referred to him fondly as Baba Kekere. He was an honest, humble politician, and till his death, he was dedicated to the service of humanity and remained a friend to the people, hence the nickname.”
Oloketuyi further revealed that his dedication to the people is one of the reasons the producers came to do a movie to honour him. “The process started about two weeks after his death, and the family has given us the approval for the movie to be done,” he said.
Recall that Jakande, who passed on in February 2021 at the age of 91 was a man of many parts; he was a Nigerian journalist who became governor of Lagos State, and later Minister of Works.