For Ayo Ajewole popularly known as Woli Agba in the online comic skit business, it appears to be that he is always on top of his game. The founder of the Instagram Parish Ministry (IPM), as the name he calls his Comic Church online, has seemingly started sending a mild message to one of his protégés he often acts most of their very hilarious skits with, Olamide Oladimeji better known as Dele that he is replaceble. How?
Anyone who watches the skits that they post online from time to time which is mostly about birthday greetings people from all over the world pay them to render to their people would attest to the fact that, the skits were usually acted mainly by Woli Agba and his mischievous son, Dele. Others in the skits who are either choir members backing up Dele while he sings, and drummers producing beats to the songs, would just be in the background.
But of recent, Woli Agba has apparently thought he has been featuring Dele too much with himself and they are fast becoming a duo of sort, which may not be too healthy for his art in the long run. Part of the disadvantages of that could just be that it would get into Dele's head that without him, Woli Agba may not really be able to perform or entertain people. And also, Dele may just wake up one day with a new ambition on the basis of thinking he has become as popular as Woli Agba himself, and could just walk away to start doing his own comic stuff online.
Apparently using a tactical move to nip such a thought from Dele in the bud, if indeed, Dele has any of such, Woli Agba has come up with a strategy of silently sending the message to him that he could use other members of the group as good replacement for him. And that is what brings two of the other guys called Dara and T.J into the equation. Of late, Woli Agba has been releasing skits featuring himself and Dara mainly, with Dele playing lesser role, or Dele not featuring at all.
As a matter of fact, instances have also recently occurred that even the choir which Dele normally leads in their skits, T.J would also be seen either starting by leading the choir in some of the new skits before yielding the microphone to Dele to continue. Or both T.J and Dele would be seen exchanging positions in front of the microphone as the skit progresses. And that move, to a great extent, has launched both T.J and Dara too into the consciousness of their teeming fans such that, if for instance, they don't see Dele in the skit, they may not really miss him.
To use the language of a former Super Eagles Head Coach, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, the move by Woli Agba could be called "shadowing". When the coach was once asked why he invited certain players into his squad that he knew he may not use at all, he said he wanted to use the players to shadow those he would be using so that they would not think they are irreplaceable. He explained that the players being used would be conscious of the fact that the coach has options, and if they misbehave, they may just be replaced by another player. What a tactic!
Certainly, at some points in time, Dele would start thinking about being independent and becoming his own boss doing what he knows how to do best. And Woli Agba is seemingly thinking ahead to such a time so that he would not be caught unaware. And that is because his concept of skits is built around having certain people acting with him with one of such people leading them. And Dara and T.J have gradually turned out as eligible substitutes or replacements for Dele if the unexpected happens.
It would be recalled that, there have been duos or groups in the entertainment industry in Nigeria long before acting comic skits online became popular who went their separate ways. And that was more pronounced in the music circle. And interestingly, Woli Agba's skits thrive on singing and dancing too, which make theirs too fall more under musical entertainment.
To mention some of the duos or groups who separated in the music industry, names such as Plantation Boiz, Style Plus, Remedies and P Square would pop up.
Hence, for Woli Agba, it is good to have made such a tactical move. Or what do you think?
