Every election season, the people we look up to for entertainment, the people we call celebrities, start telling us who to vote for. Sometimes they campaign openly. Sometimes they simply announce who they’re voting for, knowing thousands are watching. And when it’s someone whose music you play or whose films you watch, their opinion can carry more weight. So when your favourite celebrity tells you who to support, are you considering the candidate, or trusting the celebrity?
This isn’t an argument against celebrities having political views. It’s a closer look at why a few of them have given their support, and what a viewer can do with that information.
In June 2022, businessman Obi Cubana publicly backed Peter Obi, calling him the only hope for a better Nigeria, according to Daily Trust. In February 2026, he received his appointment letter as South-East Director of the City Boy Movement, a group aligned with President Bola Tinubu, Premium Times reported.
His switch isn’t a problem because people can change their political positions. He gave a reason, he said outside influence is limited, and lasting change comes through constructive engagement. As fans, we shouldn’t assume we know anyone’s motives, but we shouldn’t pretend a big political shift raises no questions. When a public figure shifts political direction, it’s fair to ask what changed and whether they’ve explained it.
A reason before an election is only half the story. What happens after the candidates win?
Nollywood actress Eniola Badmus supported Bola Tinubu’s 2023 campaign. The APC Youth Stakeholders Forum later honoured her with an entertainment award recognising her “tremendous effort” toward his victory. In May 2024, she announced her appointment as Special Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Social Events and Public Hearing. The appointment drew mixed reactions.
The appointment is documented. It doesn’t prove her political support was exchanged for a position, and nobody should claim it does. The question is what we do with information like this. When someone campaigns for a politician and later joins the establishment, do we hear specific policies and results, or only loyalty to the person? Supporting a candidate before an election and assessing their performance afterwards are two different responsibilities.
Not everyone who backs a candidate is doing something wrong. Asked on a talk show whether people should be free to vote for whoever they want without being bullied, veteran actor Jide Kosoko said nobody should be. He said he voted for Tinubu because he’s known him for a long time and has seen his contribution to Nigeria’s democracy.
That’s every citizen’s right, and celebrities are abused for their choices too. Badmus has been frequently mocked online over her endorsement. Scrutiny and abuse are different, and viewers can ask questions without bullying anyone. Kosoko says it’s because of a long friendship and a record he claims he’s seen.
The freedom to choose and the duty to explain are different things. Actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo frames his politics around fairness and his region’s turn. He left the APC in 2022 over its Muslim-Muslim ticket and joined the Labour Party to back Peter Obi. Later, he cut ties with Obi and the party, saying he’d lost confidence in Obi’s ability to build a strong party base.
Every move came with a reason, and every move was his own decision. Weighing religion, region, friendship, or loyalty is part of how many people decide, on every side of politics, and it’s allowed. Okonkwo simply said his reason out loud. The question for a viewer isn’t whether he’s permitted to move. It’s whether the principle behind the first move still holds for the next.
The answer is that we don’t know much. We found no Nigerian study measuring whether celebrity endorsements change how people vote. One survey of Lagos undergraduates found most said celebrity endorsements didn’t affect their decisions, though it relied on self-reported answers from a limited group. Evidence from elsewhere suggests endorsements can matter in particular cases. One well-known study estimated that Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Barack Obama brought him roughly a million extra votes in the 2008 Democratic primary, but it’s less clear whether other celebrities would have the same effect.
Not all celebrity involvement is about candidates. Entertainers including Falz and Mr Macaroni took part in a concert encouraging young people to register to vote. That’s civic encouragement, and it’s different from telling people who to choose. There is also a wider concern about paid political content online.
Now, looking back at the reasons we’ve heard: engagement, a party, a long friendship, a region. None is illegal or unusual, and all are personal. They belong to the person giving them. Everyone has reasons and interests, celebrities included. And backing a candidate isn’t like backing a product. If a product disappoints, you stop buying. A vote shapes policy for years. Your vote is for your fare, your rent, your job and your school fees.
So before a celebrity changes your mind, ask:
- What exactly are they backing: a policy, a person, a party or a region?
- What reason have they given, and can I check it?
- Does that reason matter to my life?
- Do they have a stake, like a role, a deal or a regional interest, and have they been open about it?
- Have they switched sides before, and did they explain why?
And one more: if this celebrity had never said a word, would I still choose this candidate? If yes, you’ve made your own decision. If not, you haven’t made it yet.
Vote for the issue, not the influencer.
