Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham is in trouble on social media after reporting trolls who attacked her for supporting President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 election to the police for cyberbullying.
Background Detail
During the 2022 election campaign, Abraham endorsed Tinubu, saying his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda would solve Nigeria’s problems. She was not alone, other Yoruba movie stars campaigned for Tinubu.
But since May 29, 2023 when Tinubu was sworn in, the country has been facing serious challenges.
One of Tinubu’s first acts was to remove fuel subsidy, the price of Premium Motor Spirit went from N185 to over N700.
The naira also crashed against the dollar due to the CBN’s financial reforms, the naira is now trading between N1,200 and N1,500 per dollar.
These economic decisions have pushed more Nigerians into poverty, Tinubu is being criticized by many. Amidst all these, Toyin Abraham has become a target for netizens who feel betrayed by her political stance.
Toyin Abraham defence
When #Lati on X (formerly Twitter) asked her, Abraham said she has moved on to focus on her acting career and regretted being open about her political views.
“I have faced my life and my career because I am not a politician and I am not in governmt. I have learned my lesson never to be open with my political choice again,” she wrote.
Despite her attempt to stay away from politics, the online abuse continued. #YVRLO sent nasty comments to Abraham and her family including her son and wished him harm. She had to report to the police. “It’s not abuse of power; it’s fight against cyberbullying,” her PR said.
Recently #Ayo accused Abraham of using Tinubu’s money to do her husband’s hair transplant. She reported him to the police for cyberbullying and he was arrested. This led to more backlash, #Ajebo Danny threatened to mass report her movies on Netflix and ask the public to email Netflix to protest.
Abraham defended her action, “You can abuse me and call me names; it’s fine, and as I said I will accept and take it because I am in the public eye, but cursing my kids and lying is what I won’t accept. I reported cybercrime as a citizen.”
This has sparked a debate on free speech and cyberbullying, some are asking Elon Musk to intervene. The public conversation around Abraham’s case shows the challenges of political speech and personal space in this digital age.
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