Veteran Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola has opened up about why she publicly supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 general election, revealing that her decision was fueled by frustration over what she described as relentless online bullying.
Speaking with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Akintola said she was deeply upset by the way Nigerians attacked anyone who expressed a different political view, including fellow actress Joke Silva, who faced intense harassment for declaring her choice.
She explained that the hostility pushed her to boldly reaffirm her own stance, insisting that every Nigerian has the right to support any candidate without fear of intimidation.
According to her, the intolerance she witnessed was more disturbing than the political differences themselves.
Her words:
“Somebody annoyed me; Nigerians annoyed me. Don’t bully other people. We have our rights to different opinions. You don’t like this man? Fine. You have the right not to like him. You prefer this person? Good for you. They bullied Aunty Joke to the point that somebody wrote something that offended me so deeply. I now did a video saying, you know what, I’m going for the same person; kill me. Let me see you change my mind with the bully.”
Akintola emphasized that disagreement is part of what makes Nigeria unique and vibrant. She maintained that even if people still believe Tinubu wasn’t the best option, her vote reflected her conviction at the time.
“We need to stop it. We need to understand that we can never agree with everybody. That’s what makes us great… Till tomorrow you might not agree he is the best person for the job, but at that point, that is who I wanted; that is who I voted for,” she added.
