Filmmaker Wale Adenuga Refutes Financial Neglect Claims by Iconic Papa Ajasco Actor Abiodun Ayoyinka

Filmmaker Wale Adenuga refutes Abiodun Ayoyinka's claims of poverty, citing the actor's 30-year civil service career and WAP brand policies.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 9:04 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Sun Nigeria

Entertainment Mogul Challenges Narrative of Actor Exploitation and Financial Distress

Wale Adenuga, the renowned producer and CEO of Wale Adenuga Productions (WAP), has formally addressed recent public comments made by Abiodun Ayoyinka regarding his financial status. Ayoyinka, widely recognized for his portrayal of the character Papa Ajasco, recently suggested that his inability to use the character's likeness for personal gain contributed to his economic struggles. In a detailed rebuttal, Adenuga characterized these assertions as a wave of misinformation, emphasizing that his response is intended to protect the transparency and integrity of a television legacy that has spanned several decades.

Career Stability and the Legacy of Civil Service Employment

In a move to provide broader context to the actor's financial history, Adenuga revealed that Ayoyinka maintained a concurrent career as a civil servant with the Lagos State Government for over thirty years. According to the filmmaker, Ayoyinka served as the face of the state’s cultural troupe, a role that brought him into the favor of various state governors, including Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Adenuga noted that the production company frequently sought official permission from the state government to secure Ayoyinka for filming locations, pointing out that the actor recently retired with a presumably intact pension and gratuity.

Corporate Support and the Provision of Personal Assets

Addressing the specific allegation of neglect, Adenuga detailed several instances of direct financial and material support provided to the actor over the course of their professional relationship. The filmmaker stated that WAP had previously gifted Ayoyinka a vehicle, similar to arrangements made for other veteran cast members, and that the actor has had access to multiple cars, including a Mercedes-Benz. Furthermore, Adenuga asserted that to his knowledge, Ayoyinka is a homeowner with a property located in Ogun State, making the actor's claims of being destitute difficult to reconcile with his known assets.