Veteran Kannywood actress, Fatima Muhammad, has responded to criticisms trailing her recent political comments, insisting that past assistance from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar cannot be used to silence her.
In a statement posted on her Facebook page on Wednesday, the actress, who identified herself as Fati Muhammad, said she has never denied that Atiku helped her at a point in her life and that she remains appreciative of the kindness.
“I am Fati Muhammad, and I have no reason to deny that Atiku Abubakar once helped me at a certain point in my life. I know and appreciate the kindness he showed me, and I will never claim otherwise,” she wrote.
She however said it was unfair to suggest that because someone helped her in the past, she should be prevented from speaking or expressing her opinion today.
Fati Muhammad, a former North-West campaign coordinator for Atiku in the 2019 presidential election and a household name in the Hausa film industry, said her relationship with the former PDP presidential candidate was mutually supportive.
“What many people tend to forget is that I also stood by Atiku, contributed my own support, supported him, and did what I could at a time when I genuinely believed it was the right thing to do. So, if we are going to talk about what happened between us, do not tell only one side of the story while deliberately ignoring the other,” she stated.
The actress argued that gratitude should not be turned into a weapon for control, stressing that political opinion and appreciation are separate.
“Helping someone is not a debt that can be used to force that person into silence forever. If I appreciate you for the kindness you showed me, that does not mean I am no longer allowed to have a different opinion from yours. Gratitude and political opinion are two completely different things,” she said.
“If we once did good for each other, let that goodness remain goodness. Do not turn it into a weapon for insults or disrespect whenever disagreements arise.”
She said she would not accept the erasure of her own contributions to Atiku’s political efforts because of current disagreements, and urged critics not to label everyone who changes their political stance as ungrateful or a betrayer.
“Not everyone who changes their opinion is ungrateful, and not everyone who criticizes someone who once helped them is betraying that person. Sometimes, a person can genuinely appreciate what was done for them in the past while still having a different opinion in the present. That is part of being human and having the freedom to express oneself,” she wrote.
“So, before you are quick to call someone ungrateful or a betrayer, ask yourself: Was it only one person who ever did good for the other? Or did they also support and help each other at different points in time?”
