Nollywood Actress Bimbo Akintola Says Online Harassment Shaped Her Support For Tinubu In 2023

Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola has disclosed that online bullying of those with opposing political views influenced her decision to back President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 general election.

In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, Akintola explained that she was disturbed by attacks on people, including veteran actress Joke Silva, simply for sharing their preferred candidates. The intensity of the harassment prompted her to openly reaffirm her own choice.

She urged Nigerians to respect differing opinions, stressing that disagreement is natural and contributes to the country’s diversity. While acknowledging that some may not consider Tinubu the best candidate, she said her support reflected her personal conviction at the time.

“Somebody annoyed me; Nigerians annoyed me. Don’t bully other people. We have our right to different opinions. Don’t you like this man? Fine. You have the right not to like him. Do 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,” she said.

Akintola called for greater tolerance, adding, “We can never agree with everybody. That’s what makes us great, beautiful, and different. 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.”