The long-running rivalry between Nollywood box office queens Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham is heating up again, as fans take sides ahead of their highly anticipated December cinema releases.
Akindele’s The Four: No One Fights Alone is slated for December 11, while Abraham’s Bestie is scheduled for December 16, setting up another box-office clash in the lucrative festive season.
The close release dates have reignited the cold war between the two stars, with their fan bases, Titans and Jenifans, scrutinising their promotional strategies.
One of the latest flashpoints is the use of customised Adire fabrics.
Akindele and members of her team, including Wumi Toriola, Kemity and Lateef Adedimeji, recently attended the 40th birthday of KolonyEvents CEO, Nike Akinyemi, in matching blue Adire fabric bearing the title The Four.
Shortly after, Abraham shared photos of herself in pink-and-orange Adire fabric printed with Bestie. The similarity prompted accusations of copying.
Another point of contention was Akindele’s partnership with Facebook, announced on October 29 to promote The Four with behind-the-scenes content and premiere updates.
A day later, on October 30, Abraham shared a throwback to her TikTok collaboration for Oversabi Aunty, writing, “Throwback to when TikTok collaborated with OVERSABI AUNTY! It was such a beautiful experience, and I’m looking forward to more amazing collaborations as we gear up for BESTIE.”
The timing drew criticism from some fans who questioned the motive.
The debate extended to international media appearances after Akindele’s interview with Larry Madowo on CNN’s African Voices aired around October 30. Titans recirculated Abraham’s 2023 CNN interview in response.
The rivalry intensified further in mid-October after an 11-minute audio recording reportedly involving Abraham and TikTok fan Bisgold circulated online, in which they made insulting remarks about Akindele.
With both films set for December, their promotional campaigns are expected to remain under scrutiny from fans online.
