Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham has publicly rejected her inclusion in the Lagos State All Progressives Congress Campaign Council, distancing herself from the party's campaign structure ahead of the 2027 general elections just hours after her name appeared on a published list of entertainers drafted into the party's campaign machinery.
Abraham's name was among thirty-three entertainment industry figures listed under the party's Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate, a star-studded lineup released on Thursday by the Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Media Centre. The list included veteran actor Jide Kosoko as Co-Director, Nollywood star Eniola Badmus as Deputy Director, and Fuji musicians Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, Abass Akande Obesere and Adewale Ayuba. Toke Benson-Awoyinka was named Director of the directorate, while Akeem Alimi, popularly known as Ajala Jalingo, was listed as Secretary. The campaign council was scheduled for formal inauguration on Friday, September 18, at the APC Secretariat on ACME Road, Ikeja.
But within hours of the list circulating online, Abraham took to her Instagram story to disown the appointment in unambiguous terms. "I'm not a member of any campaign council. I have said it recently, I am staying out of politics. Please disregard the supposed inclusion of my name in any campaign committee," she wrote. The statement was direct and left little room for interpretation: the actress, one of Nollywood's most bankable stars, was not interested in a formal role in the ruling party's re-election campaign in Lagos State.
The rejection carries particular weight given Abraham's political history. She was a vocal supporter of President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, a decision that sparked intense backlash and, by her own admission, affected her business ventures. In March 2026, she reflected publicly on the fallout from that support, acknowledging that while she had exercised her democratic right to back a candidate she believed in, the public's reaction had spilled over into her commercial interests. That experience appears to have informed her current posture. Her statement that she is "staying out of politics" and has "said it recently" suggests a deliberate and considered decision to avoid formal political affiliation, even as she retains personal relationships with figures across the political spectrum.
The timing of her rejection is significant. The Lagos APC campaign council list was released as part of the party's preparations for the 2027 general elections, in which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is expected to seek re-election. The Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate was designed to harness the influence of Nigeria's vast entertainment industry to mobilise support and shape public messaging. The inclusion of figures like Kosoko, Pasuma and Badmus was intended to signal the party's cultural reach. Abraham's name on that list would have been a significant asset, given her massive following across social media and her status as one of the most recognisable faces in Nigerian cinema. Her rejection therefore represents a notable setback to the party's efforts to present a united front within the creative sector.
The APC has not yet issued a formal response to Abraham's statement. The party may choose to clarify whether her name was included without her consent, or whether the list was a draft subject to confirmation. The absence of a public reaction from the party leadership leaves open the question of whether the appointment was communicated to Abraham before publication. The structure of the directorate, with Benson-Awoyinka as Director and Kosoko as Co-Director, suggests a hierarchical arrangement in which members were expected to participate in campaign activities. Whether the party will replace Abraham or proceed with the list as published remains unclear.
The episode also raises broader questions about the relationship between Nollywood and political campaigns in Nigeria. The entertainment industry has long been a recruiting ground for political mobilisation, with actors, musicians and comedians frequently enlisted to lend glamour and reach to campaign efforts. But the dynamic has become increasingly fraught. Artists who align themselves with political parties often face backlash from fans who disagree with their choices, and the commercial consequences can be substantial. Abraham's experience in 2023, when her support for Tinubu triggered a wave of criticism, is a case in point. Other entertainers have faced similar pressures, leading some to adopt a more cautious posture or to avoid formal political roles altogether.
For Abraham, the decision to stay out of politics does not necessarily mean she will remain silent on national issues. She has used her platform to speak on matters affecting women, children and the entertainment industry, and her influence extends well beyond partisan politics. But her refusal to serve on the APC campaign council signals a boundary she is unwilling to cross. Whether other entertainers named to the directorate will follow her lead, or whether they will embrace the role, remains to be seen. The inauguration scheduled for Friday will proceed, and the party will have to navigate the optics of a list that includes at least one prominent name that has been publicly disowned.
The larger political context is one of intense jockeying ahead of 2027. Lagos State, Nigeria's commercial capital and a key electoral battleground, will be central to the APC's national strategy. The party has been consolidating its structures, courting influential blocs and building a campaign apparatus designed to deliver the state for the ruling party. The Entertainment and Creative Economy Directorate is part of that effort. Abraham's rejection is a reminder that not all recruitment efforts succeed, and that individual calculations do not always align with party expectations. As the campaign season intensifies, the tension between celebrity influence and political affiliation will continue to shape how Nigeria's entertainment industry engages with electoral politics. For now, Toyin Abraham has made her position clear: she is staying out.
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