Celebrities have always played a significant role in shaping public opinion and influencing cultural trends. In recent years, many Nigerian celebrities have also begun to take an active interest in politics, using their platforms to advocate for social change and support political candidates who align with their values.
We’ve taken the time to highlight some Nigerian celebrities who displayed exceptional patriotism during the 2023 presidential election. We’ll highlight some of the challenges faced by these celebrities who decided to engage in politics, including criticism from fans and supporters, political backlash from opposing parties, and social media trolling.
Ultimately, this article aims to shed light on the importance of celebrities’ patriotism in politics and their potential to shape the future of Nigerian democracy. Ready? let’s dive in.
Folarin Falana, aka Falz the Bahd guy
During Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz the Bahd Guy, displayed exceptional patriotism in their efforts to ensure free and fair elections as well as to support his preferred candidates. As a musician and social activist, Falz uses his platform to promote voter education and participation through short videos and reels.
For instance, he was one of the many Nigerian Celebrities that encourages tons of GenZ-ers and millennials to get their PVCs (Permanent VotersCard) a few years before the election year. He also kept many Nigerians updated on the PVC registration and collection details. When he’s not promoting new music or posting pictures of himself and personal projects he’s embarked on, Falz posts videos to educate Nigerians on the state of things.
On the voting day of election for the 2023 presidential election, Falz turned up at his polling unit to vote and encouraged fellow Nigerians to do the same. What’s more impressive is how Falzs did his best to protect fellow Nigerians when thugs stormed his polling unit to harass and hijack the ballot boxes.
Falz is one of the many Nigerian Celebrities that’s worth celebrating. Although he has his own candidate, he has never preached or forced anyone to vote for his candidate. His focus is on promoting democracy and good governance in Nigeria by encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote and holding elected officials accountable for their actions.
Adebowale Adedayo, Mr. Macaroni
Another Nigerian Celebrity that’s worth celebrating is Adebowale Adedayo, popularly known as Mr. Macaroni. His patriotism and passion for justice are a delight to watch. He is one of the celebrities that took to the streets to protest the injustice of the Government during the EndSars protest.
Although he suffered physical bullying for standing up against injustice, he never backed down. During the Presidential election, he took the centre stage again. He didn’t only go out to vote, he encouraged many Nigerians to do the same and be well-behaved too. As a comedian and social media influencer, Mr. Macaroni used his platform to Preach youth participation in Politics and Justice alongside his skits.
25-02-2023, 11:14pm. Results have been successfully uploaded in my PU!!!
— MrMacaroni (@mrmacaronii) February 25, 2023
Kudos to the officers!!
Massive respect to everyone who came out to vote!!
May The will of the people Prevail.
For a Better Nigeria!!! ✊???????????? pic.twitter.com/aCzHVEvJfn
No doubt, the path Mr. Macaroni chose to tow isn’t a smooth one. He never stopped being vocal about the death threats he’d received via texts, calls, and emails from politicians and their children who wanted him to back down. Amidst his activism and patriotism, Mr. Macaroni is against violence and tribal conflicts. He has severally and boldly advised young people against it.
Chioma Akpotha
Chioma is one Nigerian Actress that has kept Nigerians entertained through her movies and lifestyle post on Instagram. When she’s not acting, she’s hanging out with her friends or traveling around the world. Chioma is a die-hard fan of justice and free and fair elections and she displayed it during the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
Chioma started by encouraging Nigerians to get their PVCs and go to their polling unit to vote. But it didn’t end there. The major reason why she’s worth celebrating is the role she played in ensuring there was a free and fair election at her polling unit on election day.
When thugs attacked her polling unit to hijack the ballot boxes, she and a few others at the unit took measures to protect it by keeping it locked in a room the thugs couldn’t access. After the thugs left, she stayed back to help the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) officials render the unused voting papers unusable. Chioma also helped with the vote-counting process. This mere act of bravery earned the Nollywood star the respect and love of many Nigerians in the country.
Omoni Oboli
Praised for a rare display of courage, Omoni Oboli is another celebrity that turned into an activist at the 2023 elections. Although voting at her polling unit was largely peaceful, Omoni Oboli actively participated in the entire voting process to ensure there was subtle rigging.
First, she arrived at the polling unit in the wee hours of the morning along with a couple of her colleagues in the industry. Then, she ensured that while she and other Nigerians waited at the polling unit for INEC officials to arrive at the unit to commence voting, she did her best to coordinate voters who were waiting for the commencement of the voting process.
After the voting had ended, Omoni stayed back with her colleagues to monitor the vote-counting process. She didn’t care much that she had to wait into the night to ensure the voting process at her polling unit was smooth and fair.
Kate Henshaw
Apparently, Kate’s enthusiasm extends beyond the borders of the gym. During the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria, Kate displayed maximum patriotism and hope in the country. First, she joined the Virtual Town Hall event as a guest speaker to talk about her vision and belief in a new Nigeria.
She also didn’t hold back in encouraging Nigerians to step out of the comfort of their homes on February 25th which was set aside for voting the next President of the Republic of Nigeria. But it didn’t end there. Kate showed that she is walks the talk as she arrived at her polling unit as early as 7:30 pm. She joined other electorates in helping the INEC officials set up for the voting process to make the voting process easy.
But there’s more. When she sensed INEC official’s aim was to seemingly disenfranchise the many Nigerians that turned out to vote, she protested against it via a video she uploaded on her Twitter handle. She also documented the inadequacies and incompetence of the INEC officials and inspired fellow electorates to wait and exercise their voting rights. Kate Henshaw is a true hero.
Conclusion
Although we’ve decided to stop here, it doesn’t mean that these 5 celebrities are the only ones who turned up at their polling units and encouraged fellow Nigerians to vote. Other Celebrities that were remarkable and demonstrated patriotism includes Rita Dominic, Iyabo Ojo, Shaffy Bello, Adesua Etomi, Do2tun, etc.
Their active participation in the 2023 Presidential election was inspiring to watch. So, it’s not surprising that the 2023 election recorded the highest voter turnout the country has ever seen. These celebrities played a vital role in encouraging Nigerian Youths to get their PVCs and to also exercise their right to vote.
