Veteran Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, has disclosed that her public support for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 elections was partly a reaction to online bullying targeted at her and other entertainers.
Speaking on the WithChude podcast which was shared on Instagram on Saturday, the actress criticised what she described as widespread cyberbullying during the election period, adding that celebrities were often attacked for expressing their political preferences.
She cited a particular incident involving veteran actress Joke Silva, whom she said was subjected to harsh online abuse over her political stance. Akintola said the episode pushed her to openly declare support for Tinubu.
“Somebody annoyed me. Nigerians annoyed me. Do not bully other people. We have our right to different opinions. You do not like this man, you have a right not to like him. You prefer this person, good for you,” she said.
She added that she made a video at the time to assert her choice, “But then someone bullied Aunty Joke to a point that somebody wrote something that was so deeply (offensive). And I made a video saying I will be going for the same person, kill me. Let me see you kill me. Let me see you change my mind with your bullying.”
Akintola called for tolerance of diverse views in a democratic system.
“We need to stop it. We need to understand that we can never agree with everybody. That is what makes us great, makes us beautiful, makes us great. If we were all the same it would be a boring life,” she continued.
She stated that despite disagreements over who was best suited for office, she stood by her decision.
“Till tomorrow you might not agree that he was the best person for the job, but at that point, that is who I wanted. And that is who I voted for.”
Watch the video below:
Nollywood Star Bimbo Akintola Says Cyberbullying Led Her to Support Tinubu pic.twitter.com/Xp3rLPdki8
— Mc Ebisco (@mcebiscoocom) December 7, 2025