Actress Bimbo Akintola has explained why she publicly backed President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 election.
Speaking in an interview on With Chude, the 55-year-old said online bullying pushed her to double down on her support.
“I supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the last election because somebody annoyed me with their bullying,” she said.
The 93 Days actress condemned what she described as a growing intolerance for differing political views.
“Nigerians are annoying. Don’t bully other people. We have our rights to differences of opinion. You don’t like this man, cool, you have the right not to like him. You prefer this person, good for you. But don’t bully others,” she said.
Bimbo also referenced the backlash veteran actress Joke Silva received for supporting Tinubu.
“They bullied aunty Joke to the point that someone wrote something that was so inhumane,” she said.
She added that the attacks made her more determined to speak.
“I made a video and said, ‘I’m also supporting Tinubu, kill me, let me see if you can change my mind with the bully.’”
The actress urged Nigerians to allow people to exercise their political choices without harassment.
“We need to stop bullying. We need to agree that we can never agree with everybody. That’s what makes us great and beautiful… Till tomorrow, you might not agree he was the best person for the job, but at that point, that was who I wanted; that is who I voted for. You can’t take my voice away from me; it’s mine,” she said.
Before the election, Bimbo had repeatedly praised Tinubu for what she called his long-standing support for the entertainment industry. In a 2023 interview on TVC’s Your View, she described him as a “skill and talent locator”.
She noted that several public figures, including Babatunde Fashola, Yemi Osinbajo, and Wale Edun, rose through systems Tinubu created.
