Falilat Yusuf (Ero Arike). CREDIT: Factcheckafrica | Web
Workers of Ero-Arike herbal balm have appealed to Nigerians to continue patronising the product despite backlash against its owner, Falilat Oyetunji, popularly known as Ero-Arike, over her involvement in the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
In a video circulating on social media, a group of women holding containers of the balm could be seen singing and pleading with members of the public not to allow the political controversy surrounding Oyetunji to affect the business.
The women, who identified themselves as beneficiaries and marketers of the business, said the company had provided livelihoods and supported families.
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 for her children’s education.
She said, “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. That business will not fail.
“Do not ruin our mother’s work. We are pleading with you.”
The women also appealed to Nigerians across different parts of the country, mentioning Oyo, Ibadan, Lagos, Owo and Agbara, where they said the business had workers and beneficiaries.
“Do not ruin Ero-Arike’s business. Do you want to take away our livelihood?” another woman said.
The group also appealed to the Hausa and Muslim communities, saying the business catered to their needs and provided a source of livelihood for members of the community.
“Peace be upon you, Muslim 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,” a speaker said in Hausa.
The group later prayed for the continued success of the business, with members responding, “Amen.”
The appeal came amid backlash against Oyetunji following her active participation in the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election.
Oyetunji, a prominent All Progressives Congress grassroots mobiliser in Osun, campaigned for the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who lost the election to the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke.
During the campaign, she distributed rice packaged with APC branding while urging residents to support Oyebamiji.
She also attracted criticism after a video emerged in which she issued spiritual warnings against people who accepted the rice but failed to vote for the APC candidate.
Oyetunji is the Chief Executive Officer of Olokemeji Nigeria Limited, the company behind Ero-Arike, a popular traditional herbal balm produced in Osun State.
Her political involvement, however, has made her a polarising figure in recent weeks.
She was formally associated with the APC in 2026 after previously supporting the Peoples Democratic Party and the Adeleke political camp in an earlier election.
Following Adeleke’s victory, Oyetunji released a video describing politics as unpredictable while urging APC supporters not to be discouraged and reaffirming her support for Oyebamiji.
The backlash against her has since extended to the Ero-Arike brand, with the latest video apparently seeking to separate the business and the livelihoods it supports from the political controversy surrounding its owner.
The women ended their appeal with prayers for the business and its customers.
The Punch
