The biopic "Adedibu: Alagbara Ibadan" has passed 850,000 views on YouTube, according to a milestone announcement shared by its makers. The film, produced by Seun Oloketuyi and directed by Abiodun Jimoh, premiered on the Libra TV channel on Sunday, 4 October.
The cast list includes Lere Paimo in the lead role, alongside Adekola Tijani, Taiwo Ibikunle, Segun Arinze, Afeez Oyetoro, Anike Ami, Shushu Abubakar and Kayode Olaiya.
Oloketuyi first announced the project in 2022, after filming wrapped in Ibadan, with an initial release planned for that July. The film did not arrive until four years later. At the time of the original announcement, Oloketuyi, who also founded the Best of Nollywood Awards, said his biopics exist to keep the memory of major Nigerian political figures alive, arguing that Adedibu "made too much of an impact to allow memories of his time to be forgotten."
That long gap between announcement and release has not hurt the film's reach. Political biopics built around strongman figures from Nigeria's recent history tend to carry built-in curiosity, since audiences already know the name and the controversy, and only need a reason to watch the retelling. Adedibu, who died in 2008, remains one of the most talked-about political figures to have come out of Oyo State, which gives a film like this a ready audience on a free platform such as YouTube, independent of cinema distribution or a streaming subscription.
The milestone comes against the backdrop of an unresolved dispute between Oloketuyi and the family of the late Lamidi Adedibu. The family has demanded ₦500 million in damages over the film, which they say was made and released without their consent and misrepresents the former Ibadan strongman's private life and political career. Oloketuyi's lawyers have rejected the demand in full, arguing that the film draws only on matters already in the public domain about a public figure.
The dispute has since escalated beyond that civil demand. Seun Oloketuyi has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, alleging that he has received threatening calls over the film and that members of the Adedibu family have branded him a thief, a scammer and a fraud on social media. His lawyers describe this as cyberbullying and criminal defamation, and have asked the police to investigate as a matter of urgency.
