Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola has said online bullying influenced her decision to publicly support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
Akintola made the disclosure during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, where she criticised the practice of attacking people over their political choices.
According to the actress, she became particularly upset after witnessing the backlash directed at veteran actress Joke Silva over her support for Tinubu.
“I supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the last election because somebody annoyed me with their bullying,” Akintola said.
She recalled that Silva was subjected to what she described as an inhumane attack, prompting her to publicly declare her own support for Tinubu.
“They bullied aunty Joke to the point that someone wrote something that was so inhumane. So, I made a video and said, ‘I’m also supporting Tinubu, kill me, let me see if you can change my mind,’” she said.
Akintola said the experience reinforced her belief that Nigerians should be able to hold different political opinions without being subjected to harassment.
“Nigerians are annoying. Don’t bully other people. We have our rights to differences of opinion,” she said.
The actress added that disagreement over political choices should not become a reason to attack others.
“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.
Akintola also maintained that her decision reflected her personal choice at the time of the election, regardless of whether others agreed with it.
“Till tomorrow, you might not agree that he was the best person for the job, but at that point, that was who I wanted, that was who I voted for. You can’t take my voice away from me; it’s mine,” she said.
