- Women claiming to be workers of Ero-Arike herbal balm have appealed to Nigerians to separate the business from its owner’s political activities
- One woman said the business helped her rebuild her life after losing her husband, including supporting her children’s education.
- The group urged Nigerians not to boycott the balm, insisting that the livelihoods of workers and families depend on the business.
The political controversy surrounding Ero-Arike founder Falilat Oyetunji appears to have taken an unexpected turn, with women claiming to work with the herbal balm business making an emotional appeal to Nigerians.
In a viral video, the women held containers of the product while pleading with members of the public not to allow the backlash against Oyetunji to affect their livelihoods.
Source: Facebook
“Do not ruin our mother’s work”
One of the women, who said she had been widowed for five years, claimed Oyetunji had supported her through some of the most difficult moments of her life.
According to her, the businesswoman helped her build a house, stock her business and pay for her children’s education.
She pleaded: “Do not ruin our mother’s work. We are pleading with you.”
Another woman questioned what would happen to the workers if Nigerians stopped patronising the product.
“Do you want to take away our livelihood?” she asked.
The group also addressed members of the Hausa and Muslim communities, claiming that Ero-Arike’s business had provided jobs and catered to their needs.
They mentioned locations including Oyo, Ibadan, Lagos, Owo and Agbara, where they said the company had workers and beneficiaries.
However, Legit.ng cannot independently verify whether the women featured in the video are workers or marketers of the business.
Their appeal comes after Oyetunji faced backlash over her political involvement in the August 15 Osun governorship election, where she campaigned for APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who lost to incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Watch an X video of Ero Arike’s workers begging Nigerians here:
Reactions trail Ero Arike’s workers video
Legit.ng compiled the comments of social media users below:
@I_am_Abdelsamad stated:
“Negative involvement? For not supporting their favourite candidate? Politics isn’t a game of sentiments but a game of interests.”
@opeyemi_h noted:
“Well well well, she doesn’t know that as an entrepreneur, especially in the FMCG sector, you cannot afford to be openly partisan”
Source: Twitter
Olajengbesi: Lawyer who stood firmly behind Adeleke’s victory
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that when the final results of the Osun governorship election began to favour Governor Ademola Adeleke, one name was repeatedly heard from the campaign’s media front: Pelumi Olajengbesi.
The lawyer and Accord Party chieftain emerged as one of the most visible voices defending Adeleke throughout the tense election, issuing near-daily statements, challenging alleged irregularities and urging voters to protect their ballots.
Source: Legit.ng