Nollywood actress, Regina Chukwu, has avowed that she has never collected money to campaign for any politician. She also claimed that entertainers, especially her colleagues in the movie industry, have the power to influence the choice people make regarding who they should vote for as president of Nigeria in 2023.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, Regina Chukwu averred that politicians will begin to see Nollywood celebrities as serious-minded people if they reject money from these politicians. She said:
“Entertainers influence people. Or, why do you think business owners pay entertainers to influence the sale of their products? Let’s not be biased. We (entertainers) have some die-hard fans and they would support whichever politician we are behind.”
“I was highly emotional after the killings in Owo. It is high time we (entertainers) change our attitude towards campaigning for politicians.
I know it is a personal decision. However, we have been doing the same thing over and again, so why don’t we do it in another way this time around? I believe people should be allowed to vote for the leaders they desire for themselves.
It is not like we are doing it for the love of the country. After collecting all these monies, what do we gain after the elections?”
Chukwu also avowed that she has never collected money to campaign for any politician. She said:
“I have never collected money to campaign for any politicians. But, people will categorise all entertainers as the same. One cannot even talk about Nigeria again without people bashing one from nowhere. I am so pained. Our government is not working.
If we reject money from these politicians, they (politicians) will start to see us as serious people. I will start campaigning on my page, imploring people not to sell their votes.”
On her contribution to encourage citizens to participate in the forthcoming elections, she said:
“I have been encouraging my followers on social media to get their permanent voter’s cards. Voting is the right of every adult citizen. I believe we can eventually get things right.”