I Regretted Campaigning For APC After What I Saw During EndSARS Protest - Actress, Ronke Oshodi

Popular Nollywood actress, Ronke Oshodi Oke, has said she regretted campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) after what she saw during the EndSARS protest.

In October 2020, Nigerian youths protested against the now-disbanded special anti-robbery squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

The protesters demanded an end to police brutality. They also seized the opportunity to demand better governance from the political class.

In a recent interview with Chude Jideonwo, Ronke described herself as a lover of APC.

She said she campaigned for APC but was disappointed in the actions of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos state governor, during the protest.

The 48-year-old filmmaker said the “governor was saying three different things” and claiming nobody died.

“I love APC. I’m a fan of APC, body and soul. I felt APC is going to take Nigeria to the next level,” she said.

“So even while we were campaigning for them, I didn’t collect much. I wasn’t looking at the money, I was looking at what is going to happen later.

“All what they have been doing, I was thinking eight years cannot fix Nigeria. We all know that. But when the EndSARS protest came up, I was so down.

“I was really really down because our governor was saying three different things at the same time. They said they didn’t kill anybody.

“But if one person died, fifty people have died with that one person. The people that person is feeding, are their parents, and siblings.

“Before they get themselves and get back on their feet might take five years. It is a thing of the mind. Secondly, there were so many injuries.

“I saw some guys that could not use their legs, some people had bullets in their bodies. So many injuries. I will not say I was mad but I was really down. I regretted working for them for that reason alone.”

Born Ibironke Ojo-Anthony, the actress began her acting career with a drama group called ‘Star Parade’.

In 2000, she came into the limelight after she was featured in a movie titled ‘Oshodi Oke’, from which she got her stage name.