Workers and alleged beneficiaries of the Ero-Arike herbal balm business have appealed to Nigerians not to boycott the brand over the political activities of its owner, Alhaja Falilat Oyetunji, popularly known as Ero-Arike.
The appeal came in a video circulating on social media in which a group of women, holding containers of the herbal balm, sang and pleaded with Nigerians to separate the business from the political controversy surrounding its owner.
The women said the business had provided income for workers, marketers and families in different parts of the country.
One of the women, speaking in Yoruba, said she had been widowed for five years and claimed that Oyetunji had helped her build a house, stock her business and pay her children’s school fees.
“I, standing here, my husband died five years ago. She helped me build a house, helped me stock goods, and helped me train my children in school,” she said.
“Do not ruin our mother’s work. We are pleading with you.”
Another woman appealed to Nigerians not to allow the controversy to destroy their source of income.
“Do not ruin Ero-Arike’s business. Do you want to take away our livelihood?” she asked.
The group mentioned locations including Oyo, Ibadan, Lagos, Owo and Agbara, saying the business had workers and beneficiaries in those areas.
A speaker who addressed Hausa and Muslim communities also appealed to them to continue supporting the business, saying it catered to members of the community.
“We are Hausa people, and we have a place with Ero-Arike. We are eating here, we are drinking here. She caters to many of our needs,” she said in Hausa.
The women ended the appeal with prayers for the continued success of the business and its customers.
However, the identities and employment status of the women in the video could not be independently verified.
The appeal followed backlash against Oyetunji after her active participation in the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
Oyetunji was identified during the campaign as an APC grassroots mobiliser and supporter of the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
She attracted attention after a video showed her distributing rice in transparent packs bearing APC stickers while urging residents to vote for Oyebamiji.
The development triggered debate on social media over the mixing of business interests and partisan politics, with some critics calling for a boycott of the Ero-Arike brand.
The controversy continued after the election, which saw incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party defeat Oyebamiji of the APC.
Adeleke was declared winner by INEC on August 16 after polling 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815. He won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate secured 11.
After the result, Oyetunji released a message urging APC supporters not to lose hope, describing politics as unpredictable and encouraging them to take the defeat in good faith.
The latest video by the women appears to be an attempt to draw a line between Oyetunji’s political activities and the commercial enterprise associated with her.
The episode also underlines a growing challenge for business owners who openly identify with political parties: when a political campaign ends, the commercial brand may still have to deal with the reactions generated by the owner’s political choices.
For the Ero-Arike workers and marketers featured in the video, the immediate concern is clear — they want Nigerians to continue buying the product and protect the livelihoods they say depend on the business.
