‘Tinubu appoints Igbos, is the best man to lead Nigeria':

Nollywood actor and former president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, (AGN), Zack Orji, has been very vocal about his support for President Bola Tinubu.

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Months before the 2023 presidential elections, the veteran publicly declared his support for the then-All Progressives Congress candidate.

Based on his unwavering support, Mr Orji, alongside other actors like Jide Kosoko, Saheed Balogun, Gentle Jack, Benedict Johnson, Funke Daramola, Remi Oshodi, and others, was appointed to the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

Unwavering support

In 2025, amidst growing disaffection towards the administration, the actor appealed to Nigerians to remain patient with President Tinubu.

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Orji said, “It is 55 and a half years since the Nigerian civil war ended and for the first time since the war ended in the history of this country, a president in the person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set up the Southeast Development Commission (SEDC) along with its subsidiary, the Southeast Investment Company, with a take-off capital of N150 billion.”

Endearing factors

Staying true to his convictions, the ‘Three Wise Men’ actor has debunked the perception that Igbos play tribal politics

In an interview on the KaaTruths Podcast, the actor pointed out that he supports President Tinubu because, as far as he is concerned, amongst the three major presidential candidates, he was the most qualified in terms ofcompetenn terms of carrying out the necessary reforms to chanin the rot of this country.

“I can never be at peace with myself if I don’t speak my mind and do the things that I am convinced about. Many other Igbo people supported him and continue to support him, maybe because of our upbringing. I’ve lived in Lagos since 1979. My home has been in Lagos, where I live and work, until recently, when I moved to Abuja. I’ve been here for about two years now, since after my surgery.

“One of the things that endeared him to me was the fact that when he was governor of Lagos state, there was always an Igbo man in his cabinet as a Commissioner. Even the Vice President, when he was governor in Borno State, had an Igbo man in his cabinet. It tells you that this is somebody who believes in inclusivity, who believes in the Nigerian project regardless of your ethnic extraction,” he said.

He further cited the opinion that President Tinubu has “raised people” from his own ethnic extraction and from other ethnic extractions as another endearing factor.

“If you talk about somebody who has raised people, he was number one amongst the others; the people he, had raised both from his own ethnic extraction and from other ethnic extractiople he has he had helped over theseveral attributes attractedattracted ,hwhicho me that ma,de m,e say yes, this is the man who should be resident of Nigeria if he can bring the same inclusivity at the federal level,” Orji added.

Nascent democracy

Speaking on the state of democracy in Nigeria, the actor, who had a health scare in 2024, opined that it has improved many aspects of the country.

READ ALSO: IPI Nigeria urges Tinubu to caution Niger governor against media attacks

“But I’ll also say democracy is the one system of government that allows anybody to disrespect anybody because people feel that it’s their right to get up and say whatever is on their mind. Whatever it is, I will look at it from the perspective that democracy is good.

“It’s a good system of governance because it allows representation of people from different extractions to come together and represent their own people and fight for the interests of their people for the benefits or the dividends of democracy. How well it is being executed is a totally different kettle of fish. But in principle that’s what it allows and for me it’s it’s the it’s the system that is good for us,” he added.