“I Regret Campaigning for Tinubu” — Nollywood Actress Bukky Raji Apologises to Nigerians

Popular Nollywood actress, Bukky Adekogbe Raji, widely known as Aminatu Papapa, has publicly expressed regret for supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 general elections, tendering an emotional apology to Nigerians.

In a video interview that has since gone viral, the actress admitted that her role in the campaign for Tinubu has become a source of personal pain and public embarrassment, especially in light of the worsening economic situation in the country. She said she was heartbroken by the widespread hunger and hardship now facing many Nigerians.

“I’m using this opportunity to beg all Nigerians. I’m sorry,” Raji said in the clip. “It was the campaign I did for Tinubu that is causing me pain. I’m in pain because many masses are hungry. I beg those who can’t afford to eat three square meals a day, I beg you in the name of God.”

The actress stressed that her involvement in the campaign was not financially motivated and that she did not receive a kobo in exchange for her support. Her apology comes amid growing frustration among citizens grappling with rising inflation, subsidy removal aftershocks, and declining purchasing power.

Raji’s remorse echoes similar sentiments expressed just days ago by another Yoruba movie veteran, Ganiu Nafiu, popularly known as Alapini. In a candid interview on African A-List TV’s Behind the Fame, Alapini lamented that he and several colleagues who backed the “Renewed Hope” campaign have been abandoned since the election.

Speaking in Yoruba, Alapini described the post-election reality as a betrayal of the hope they had clung to, noting that many entertainers who lent their voices to the Tinubu campaign have received neither recognition nor relief.

The apologies by the Nollywood stars reflect a growing sense of disillusionment within the entertainment industry, particularly among those who publicly endorsed the president during the elections. As economic hardship deepens, some of these former campaigners are now facing backlash from fans and fellow citizens who feel let down.