Nollywood actor Aremu Afolayan has apologized to Nigerians and announced his decision to step away from politics after facing heavy backlash over his recent comments.
Naija News reports that the actor shared a message on social media where he asked Nigerians for forgiveness over the reactions that followed his earlier statements.
He said the criticism directed at him had become overwhelming and also denied claims that he received money from any individual or group.
Afolayan also tried to clear the air on his comments about insecurity in the country. He explained that he did not deny the existence of security challenges but was misunderstood.
According to him, the issue is real, and he even referred to a personal experience involving someone close to him who was kidnapped, with ransom paid for release.
Following the controversy, he said he no longer wants to be involved in political matters, stating clearly that he is withdrawing from anything related to politics.
He said: “To all Nigerians, please forgive me. I’m very sorry. The curse you guys are raining on me is too much. I didn’t take money from anyone. It’s obvious that there’s insecurity and the government isn’t doing anything; what I was trying to say is don’t answer anyone who is saying there’s no insecurity.
“My best friend’s mother was kidnapped and we paid ransom; how would I say there’s no insecurity? I’m withdrawing myself from anything that has to do with politics.”
The development comes shortly after the actor publicly showed support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
In the video, he downplayed the hardship many Nigerians are facing and spoke in favour of the president’s efforts.
His comments led to strong reactions online, with many Nigerians criticising his position.
