Workers and marketers of the popular herbal balm, Ero-Arike, have made an emotional public appeal to Nigerians, begging consumers not to boycott the product over the political activities of its owner, Alhaja Falilat Oyetunji.

The plea follows a severe public backlash trailing Oyetunji’s controversial role in the recently concluded August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election. Oyetunji, the Chief Executive Officer of Olokemeji Nigeria Limited, is a prominent grassroots mobiliser for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a viral video circulating on social media, a large group of women—holding containers of the famous traditional balm—were seen weeping, singing, and pleading with the public to separate the business from its owner’s political leanings.

The women, who identified themselves as direct beneficiaries and marketers of the brand, stated that a total boycott would ruin their source of income and destroy families.

Speaking in Yoruba, a widowed staff member shared her ordeal: "My husband died five years ago. This woman helped me build a house, stock my business, and educate my children. Please do not ruin our mother’s work. Do you want to take away our livelihoods?"

Another representative, speaking in Hausa, appealed directly to the northern and Muslim communities, noting that the company employs a diverse workforce.

"We are Hausa people and we have a place with Ero-Arike. We eat and drink here. She caters to many of our needs," she said.

The boycott campaign gained momentum after the outcome of the Osun gubernatorial race, where the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

Oyetunji had fiercely campaigned for the APC, distributing branded bags of rice to voters. However, public anger flared after a video emerged showing her issuing stern spiritual warnings against individuals who accepted her rice but failed to vote for the APC candidate.

Although Oyetunji later released a video conceding that politics is unpredictable and urging APC supporters to remain resilient, the damage to her corporate brand had already triggered a heavy consumer revolt online.

The latest video by the workers represents a desperate damage-control strategy to insulate the traditional medicine brand from the ongoing political fallout. At the time of filing this report, media outlets could not independently verify if all the women in the video were genuine employees of the firm.

The firm`s management has yet to release an official corporate statement regarding the boycott.