IWD: Funke Akindele, and Other Nigerian Female Entertainers Who Took Bold Strides in the 2023 Elections
International Women’s Day is here, and Legit.ng curated a list of Nigerian female entertainers who tried to change the political narrative during the 2023 general elections by using their platforms or going for the price regardless of all prejudices.
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The Nigerian political sector, just like every other country, is highly dominated by men, making it difficult for women to show interest even if they wanted.
Today being International Women’s Day, Legit.ng recognises and appreciates female entertainers who participated in this year’s political movement, from those who declared their political ambition to those who, in one way or another, used their medium to fight for the masses.
Source: Instagram
These women didn’t limit their fight against patriarchy to the entertainment industry but went further into politics.
Funke Akindele
The vibrant actress and movie producer is popularly known for her television series Jenifa, in which she was the lead character.
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Funke has won a couple of awards in her acting career, is the most nominated actress at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), and currently owns seven AMVCA, making her the actress with the most wins at the AMVCA.
The screen goddess took to Twitter on July 12, 2022, to announce that she would be vying for the position of deputy governor with her running mate Olajide Adediran, under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Lagos state.
Funke explained that her decision to accept the position was an opportunity to help liberate and improve the welfare of Lagosians, "particularly the deprived youth, women, and the girl child."
Hilda Dokubo
The seasoned actress made her screen debut in 1992 on the old Nollywood classic Evil Passion and has since made a reputable name in the entertainment sector.
In June 2020, Dokubo joined a street march in Lagos to protest against r*pe and other gender-based violence. In October 2020, she was part of the EndSARS protests in Port-Harcourt against police brutality alongside her colleague Kate Henshaw.
On September 28, 2022, the talented thespian indicated an interest in running for the Federal House of Representatives in the Asalga/Akulga Federal Constituency of Rivers state under the platform of the Labour Party.
Taking to her Instagram page, she declared that she was ready to serve the people Obidiently.
Tonto Dike
Tonto has remained resilient on her path despite the controversies surrounding her acting career and former marriages.
Tonto broke the internet with her political ambition to run for deputy governor under the African Democratic Congress alongside her running mate, Mr Tonte Ibraye.
The announcement elicited conflicting reactions among netizens, but the screen beauty has found a way to build a solid fanbase willing to support her on her journey to greatness.
Caroline Hutchings
The movie star debuted in Nollywood through the late legendary Nigerian filmmaker Chico Ejiro and Rita Dominic.
In July 2022, Caroline was announced as the running mate of Mr Iboro Otu, for the 2023 gubernatorial election in Akwa Ibom state, under the African Action Congress (AAC).
Mr. Otu, a renowned music engineer, took to Instagram to note that he picked the actress as his running mate after months of searching and researching for the right individual for the job.
Kate Henshaw
The celebrated Nollywood actress was vocal during the preliminaries of the election and until the day of the presidential elections held on February 25. She took to social media to beckon her fans and followers to come out and vote while assuring them that their voices would be heard this time.
When the ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar dared the Nigerian youth to vote for the Labour party, insinuating that they didn’t have the numbers, Kate challenged him, stating that the youths would prove him wrong.
However, the actress has always been political; in 2014, she aspired to represent the Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal constituency under PDP, where she later lost in the primaries. In 2015 she was appointed Special Adviser Liaison, Lagos, by Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade.
Omoni Oboli
Omoni is one of the exceptional acts in the Nollywood industry and is known for her appearance in the 2015 blockbuster Fifty.
This year’s presidential election saw Omoni’s incredible determination to ensure that INEC’s fraudulent activities didn’t affect the results from her polling unit.
She stayed in her polling place till the following day, waiting for INEC’s server to accept their results which were to no avail. In the end, they had to resort to the manual process. Omoni’s unsolicited act shows the feminine nurture when a woman takes up the burden of leadership.
Chioma Chukwuka
The phenomenal actress began her career in the Nollywood industry at a very young age and has starred in more than 350 Nollywood movies in her 20 years of experience.
This year’s presidential election saw Chioma’s bravery as she stood against the thugs that came to disrupt her polling unit, calling on the attention of security to come to their aid.
The actress also revealed that she was abused during the disarray but stayed till the end of the polls to ensure all unused ballot papers were damaged by INEC officials.
Despite being called a hypocrite by her colleague Georgina Onuoha over her desperate cry for help, netizens have continued to applaud Chioma for the awareness she brought to her polling centre.
Toyin Abraham
The talented actress and filmmaker began her acting career in the early 2000s and made waves at the beginning of this year with her cinema blockbuster Ijakumo.
The movie guru surprised Nigerians when she declared her support for the All-Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and branded herself as "Asiwaju baby."
Toyin remained unshaken and went on to hail her candidate as the best man for the job despite being in the camp many Nigerians stood against. The actress also said she didn’t collect any money to endorse Tinubu.
Adunni Ade
The sultry Yoruba Nollywood actress became popular in 2014 through her appearances on Bovi’s viral skits.
Adunni has been pushing for Labour Party (LP)'s Peter Obi from day one and did not join her fellow Nollywood actors to rally for Tinubu, whom almost the majority of the citizens were against.
When the INEC results were being announced, Dunni got angry and called out her Yoruba colleagues for collecting N90k to campaign for Tinubu.
Her colleagues came after her; some tried to blackmail her with her past, and others went as far as making death threats against her. The pretty actress stood her ground and didn’t withdraw her claims.
Source: Legit.ng
