Nollywood actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham has spoken about the professional fallout she experienced after openly backing President Bola Tinubu during Nigeria’s last general election, acknowledging that the decision had a damaging effect on her career and the way audiences perceived her work.
The actress said the reaction she faced afterwards was intense enough to alter how she now views public political alignment, particularly for entertainers whose livelihoods depend heavily on audience goodwill.
She made the disclosure during a conversation with fellow actor Timini Egbuson, while offering guidance on how actors can improve the commercial performance of their films.
Drawing from personal experience, Abraham warned that publicly declaring political loyalties can be costly in Nigeria’s deeply divided political climate, advising colleagues to prioritise neutrality over activism to protect their careers and creative output.
“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.
Her remarks reflected a broader concern about how political expressions by public figures are often met with backlash that goes beyond debate, spilling into personal attacks and professional sabotage.
When Egbuson reminded her of her own endorsement of Tinubu during the election period, Abraham initially dismissed it with a brief response, saying, “That was then.” However, she quickly admitted that the consequences were far-reaching.
In an emotional moment, she confessed that the backlash did affect her career, exclaiming, “Haaaaaaa, it affected me oooo,” a statement that underscored the depth of the professional challenges she faced in the aftermath.
Following the 2023 election, the actress became a focal point of online criticism, with some social media users accusing her of allowing politics to influence her creative decisions.
The backlash soon extended beyond commentary, as her 2023 film ‘Malaika’ was reportedly pirated and widely circulated on WhatsApp platforms. At the time, several critics openly vowed to boycott her projects, citing her political stance as the reason, a development that supporters described as an unfair punishment for exercising personal political choice.
Abraham had previously expressed frustration over what she described as biased treatment of her work, particularly the reviews and reactions to ‘Malaika’.
In a public response then, she questioned why her political preference was treated as a crime while similar choices by others were tolerated.
“You all will tell the world why choosing my own candidate is a crime and yours is not,” she said, highlighting what she perceived as a double standard within public discourse.
