Nollywood actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham has admitted that her open support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 general election negatively impacted her career.
The actress made the revelation while offering advice to fellow actor Timini Egbuson on how to improve the box office performance of his films.
According to Abraham, entertainers should avoid publicly declaring political support in order to protect their careers.
“The first advice I will give you in my entire life is, don’t put your mouth in politics. Don’t tell them you’re supporting anybody. Don’t support anybody, just be on your own. Be neutral,” she said.
When Egbuson reminded her about her previous endorsement of Tinubu, Abraham responded dismissively, saying, “That was then.”
She, however, admitted that the backlash that followed had real consequences for her career.
“Haaaaaaa, it affected me oooo,” she exclaimed.
Following her political stance during the 2023 elections, the actress faced criticism online, with some netizens calling for a boycott of her films.
Her 2023 movie Malaika was also reportedly pirated and circulated on WhatsApp, with some critics vowing not to watch her productions because of her political views.
At the time, Abraham had reacted strongly to the backlash and negative reviews of the film.
“You all will tell the world why choosing my own candidate is a crime and yours is not,” she had said while defending her decision to support her preferred candidate.
Despite the controversy, the actress remains one of the most prominent figures in Nigeria’s film industry.