Veteran Nollywood actor Ganiu Nafiu, popularly known as Alapini, has expressed deep regret over supporting President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. The actor, speaking in Yoruba during an interview on Behind the Fame – African A-List TV, said he and other Yoruba film actors who campaigned for Tinubu have been neglected since the election.
Alapini, with visible frustration, said the hope they had in Tinubu has turned into disappointment. “We were campaigning with joy, thinking our messiah had arrived. Tinubu is someone we’ve loved for years and who has helped actors in the past,” he said.
The actor revealed that over a hundred veteran and younger actors spent two months campaigning across Lagos and other areas — even in places where others feared to go. “I entered markets and places I normally wouldn’t just because of Tinubu,” he said.
Despite the risk and the online backlash they faced, including curses in comment sections, Alapini said they got nothing in return. “They didn’t give us anything,” he said bluntly. “Maybe they are not in the right frame of mind to think about giving anything in return yet.”
He expressed particular disappointment with Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying they failed to acknowledge the elderly actors who stood by them. “Was Seyi blind that he didn’t see us, the old actors, walking around for the campaign?” he asked.
Alapini also referenced fellow actor Olaiya Igwe, who once went viral for stripping naked at the beach to pray for Tinubu’s victory. “People cursed him for that, and up till now, he hasn’t been free from those curses,” he said, adding that rumours of a car gift to Olaiya were false.
When asked if he would campaign for Tinubu again in 2027, Alapini said he hasn’t thought about it but added, “Maybe our only form of support will be curses for anyone who chooses to vote for him.”
He also criticised Seyi Tinubu for focusing his philanthropic efforts in the North. “Are there no sick people in Yorubaland too?” he asked. “How many hospitals has he visited here to pay bills?”
The interview has sparked discussions online, especially about the role of entertainers in politics and the treatment of grassroots campaigners after elections.
