Veteran Nigerian actor Ganiu Nofiu, popularly known as Alapini, has expressed deep regret over his decision to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
In a recent interview on African A-List, Alapini cited the worsening economic hardship and growing insecurity across the country as reasons for his disillusionment. He revealed that he, along with over 100 colleagues from the Yoruba film industry, actively campaigned for Tinubu based on the president’s previous contributions to Lagos State and the entertainment sector.
“We abandoned our work for two months to campaign for Tinubu in 2023. We did it sincerely, thinking our Messiah had come. We believed in his leadership because of what he had done for Lagos and the movie industry,” he said.
However, Alapini lamented that neither he nor many of his colleagues have received any recognition or compensation since Tinubu assumed office.
“It’s been two years into his administration, and nothing. Maybe they’re not in the right frame of mind yet to remember us. But the truth is, we have been completely sidelined,” he added.
The actor also took issue with what he perceives as regional bias in the philanthropic activities of Seyi Tinubu, the president’s son. He questioned why Seyi’s charitable efforts appear to focus primarily on Northern Nigeria, seemingly neglecting the Southwest, where his father has deep political and cultural roots.
“Will Seyi Tinubu say he didn’t see the old actors during the campaign? We were more than 100—both young and old—who marched for his father without being given a dime. We did it out of love.
But today, Seyi is busy visiting hospitals in the North, paying bills. Aren’t there sick people in Yoruba land too? How many hospitals has he visited here?”
Alapini’s remarks echo a broader sense of frustration among some supporters who feel abandoned by the administration they helped usher into power.
