Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola has spoken out against what she describes as growing hostility toward differing political opinions in Nigeria. During an appearance on the With Chude podcast, the actress addressed criticism she faced for supporting the current president.
When Chude noted, “you know you supported the running president,” Akintola confirmed her stance, saying, “yes I did. Somebody annoyed me. Nigerians annoyed me.” She explained that what upset her most was the level of online bullying directed at those who held opposing views.
Akintola recalled how veteran actress Joke Silva was targeted, saying people bullied her “to the extent that somebody wrote something that was so… I don’t have the words to describe it.” She said the incident pushed her to make a video doubling down on her choice: “I now did this video saying, you know what, I’m going for the same person. Now kill me, feel free. Let me see you kill me, let me see you change my mind with your bullying.”
She argued that intolerance for differing political opinions is harmful, stressing, “we need to stop it, we need to understand that we can never agree with everybody. That’s what makes us great, beautiful, different. It will be a boring life if we’re all the same.”
Akintola concluded by affirming her right to her preference: “You might not agree that he’s the best for the job, but at that point, that’s who I wanted and voted for.”
