Nollywood star John Ikechukwu Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu has now withdrawn his support for the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu, saying he remains with Atiku Abubakar. 

The actor was seen in a viral video assembling with other actors to endorse the 2023 presidential aspirations of Mr Tinubu, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Peoples Gazette had reported on November 27 that the actor alongside other prominent Nollywood actors, assembled in a meeting-like setting that was bannered “South West Stands for Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.

Mr Ibu has now released a video after the backlash explaining his presence in the meeting and declaring his intentions.

The actor revealed that he was approached regarding Mr Tinubu’s ambitions, however, “I am a completely independent person.

“In the area I perform, I am a comedian, I am a musician and I am an actor. Anything that has to do with anybody the person will come and address me on that and I will know directions”.

Explaining further, he said, based on his personality not to “run sideways”, he was again declaring his support for Mr Abubakar as his “candidate”, owing to numerous past benefits he’s enjoyed from him, including a house gift.

“From time I have never run any side ways, it has been me and Atiku all this while and he has been taking me to places.

“Atiku is contesting for president, certainly because he has done a lot of things for me, you know there was time he changed a house for me and all that and said let everybody stay here for now,” Mr Ibu said.

He went down memory lane on when he was ill and how he was assisted by those he now strongly supports as he promised never to disappoint them.

“A whole lot of people too that helped me when I am sick, his excellency the Governor of Enugu state took me out of the country to go and treat me. Why will I disappoint them?”

“These are my people, anybody I visited probably on invitation is simply because I am an actor and they want me to assist them in one way or the other in whatever they are doing. 

“That does not mean I have abandon my fathers them, I did not everybody is contesting and may God help them anybody who wins let the person win , it has been like that” he added.

The 60-year-old actor said Mr Abubakar “is like a father to me. He is contesting for president under PDP, certainly I have been working for him”.

He then  proceeded to acknowledge Mr Tinubu as a “good candidate” but not just his candidate, adding, “I am not trying to pull him down, he is a good candidate but Atiku is my candidate.”