Workers and marketers of Ero-Arike herbal balm have appealed to Nigerians to continue patronising the brand despite the backlash against its owner, Falilat Oyetunji, popularly known as Ero-Arike, over her political activities during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
In a video circulating on social media, a group of women holding containers of the herbal balm were seen singing and pleading with Nigerians not to allow the controversy surrounding Oyetunji to affect the business.
The women, who identified themselves as beneficiaries and marketers of Ero-Arike, said the company had provided jobs, supported families and helped several people improve their livelihoods.
One of the women, speaking in Yoruba, said she had been widowed for five years and claimed that Oyetunji had supported her by helping her build a house, providing goods for her business and paying for her children’s education.
She appealed to Nigerians not to allow the controversy to destroy the business.
“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,” she said.
The women also appealed to Nigerians in different parts of the country, including Oyo, Ibadan, Lagos, Owo and Agbara, where they claimed the company has workers and beneficiaries.
Another woman said, “Do not ruin Ero-Arike’s business. Do you want to take away our livelihood?”
The group further appealed to Hausa and Muslim communities, saying the business had catered to their needs and provided sources of income 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,” another speaker said in Hausa.
The women later prayed for the continued success of the business, with members responding, “Amen.”
However, the identities and claims of the women featured in the video could not be independently verified.
The appeal comes amid growing criticism of Oyetunji following her active involvement in the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election.
Oyetunji, a prominent All Progressives Congress grassroots mobiliser in the state, campaigned for the party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who lost to the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke.
During the campaign, she distributed rice packaged with APC branding while urging residents to support Oyebamiji.
She later came under further criticism after a video emerged in which she issued spiritual warnings against individuals who collected the rice but allegedly 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 activities have, however, made her a polarising figure in recent weeks, with the controversy now spilling over into discussions about the Ero-Arike brand.
Oyetunji formally aligned with the APC in 2026 after previously supporting the Peoples Democratic Party and the Adeleke political camp during an earlier election.
Following Adeleke’s victory, she released a video describing politics as unpredictable while urging APC supporters not to lose hope and reaffirming her support for Oyebamiji.
The latest appeal by the women appears aimed at separating Ero-Arike’s business operations and the livelihoods attached to the brand from the political controversy involving its owner.
