Veteran Nollywood actor Ganiu Nafiu, popularly known as Alapini, has publicly expressed regret over supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election campaign.
In a candid interview on Behind the Fame – African A-List TV on YouTube, the actor lamented the neglect and lack of recognition faced by him and other veteran entertainers after Tinubu’s victory.
Alapini recounted how he and fellow Nollywood veterans campaigned with enthusiasm and high expectations, believing Tinubu would reward their loyalty and longstanding admiration for him.
“We were campaigning with joy thinking our messiah has arrived, because Tinubu is someone we have loved for many years, and he has been helpful to actors,” he said.
“That was why we came out to support him for two months. We spent two months campaigning for him.”
Despite their efforts, Alapini claimed that neither Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, nor the All Progressives Congress (APC) acknowledged the visible support offered by senior actors. He noted that their active participation in campaign activities went unnoticed and unappreciated.
“Would Seyi claim that he did not see we the old folks during when we were out there campaigning?
Was Seyi blind that he did not notice our presence, the senior actors? We were over a hundred. We were all walking around, both young and old.
We even campaigned at areas where some individuals could not conduct campaigns.”
He further lamented the lack of compensation or follow-up support after the elections.
“They did not give us anything. People were cursing us in comment sections when we were campaigning.
My friend Olaiya Igwe, who stripped himself naked in the beach because of Tinubu.
The curses that were placed on him, up till now he hasn’t been free from them.”
Alapini criticized Seyi Tinubu’s post-election philanthropic efforts, accusing him of ignoring the needs of Yoruba communities in favor of Northern Nigeria.
“That Seyi is now running around the North paying their hospital bills. Aren’t there sick people here in Yorubaland too? How many hospitals has he visited here in Yorubaland to pay bills for sick people?”
The actor’s remarks highlight growing discontent among some Nollywood figures who feel sidelined after openly supporting the ruling party during a critical political season.
