Thursday, May 2, 2024

APC paid me to campaign; I regretted it because of #EndSARS: Ronke Oshodi Oke

Oshodi Oke also expressed her disappointment in Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who initially claimed nobody died during the incident.

• July 7, 2023
Ronke Oshodi Oke
Ronke Oshodi Oke [Photo Credit: Vanguard News]

Nollywood actress Ronke Ojo, aka Oshodi Oke, says she regrets campaigning for the All Progressives Congress(APC) after the #EndSars protest at Lekki Toll-Gate, during the Nigerian military shot live bullets and killed several protesters,

During her recent interview with Chude Jideonwo, the actress said although the APC paid her during the campaign, she regretted supporting the ruling party after the outcome of the incident on October 20, 2020.

“You know, when the #EndSARS thing came up, I was so down, I was really, really down, I regretted working with them for that alone,” she confessed.

Oshodi Oke also expressed her disappointment in Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who initially claimed nobody died during the incident.

“Our Governor was saying three things at the same time” she complained.

While Mr Sanwo-Olu initially denied the casualties at the protest ground, many sources, including those from security sources, confirmed to The Gazette that several lives were lost.

At first, the army also denied its presence at the protest ground, claiming that the photos and videos were doctored. This was after a Nigerian celebrity, DJ Switch, recorded a live session of the incident.

The army later admitted the presence of its personnel but claimed that shots were only fired into the air to enforce curfew in the state.

Nonetheless, the 48-year-old actress said she had high hopes for the political party and trusted them to take the country to the “next level.” 

“I felt APC is going to take Nigeria to the next level. So even while we were campaigning for them, I didn’t collect much,” she said. “I wasn’t looking at the money; I was looking at what is going to happen later.”

The protest was a movement initiated by Nigerian youths who sought an end to police brutality and extrajudicial killings.

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