Ifeoma Ononye 
For more than two decades,Hilda Dokubo, a Nigerian actress, has graced the screens of many homes as an outstanding character in different films and home videos. She has acted in hundreds of films, where she made her name and became a popular face.
But it is no news that many of her contemporaries in Nollywood have diversified into other arms of the society. Hilda is not different. Among other things she does, she is also a politician, a member of the Labour Party(LP).
Last week, she was suspended as a member of the party at her ward in Asari Toru Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), Dokubo, the LP’s chairperson in Rivers, was suspended on Thursday after the party’s ward executive committee held an emergency meeting on July 15.
Dokubo was said to have been accused of financial misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of party regulations, among other allegations.
A letter addressed to the LP chairman of Asari Toru and signed by the ward chairman, Ajalamonia Ibama, Lole Amacheer, the secretary; and Emmanuel Ibamathe, the treasurer; indicated her suspension.
Others, who signed the letter are Osaki Dieypiriye, the women leader, and Osaki Dokubo, the publicity secretary.
The executives said the decision was made following a thorough investigation into the allegations against the 54-year-old actress.
They argued that substantial evidence had been uncovered to support their claims.
Dokubo made her Nollywood debut during her youth service in a 1992 film titled ‘Evil Passion’.
She has featured in several other films including ‘Gone Forever’, ‘End of the Wicked’, and ‘My Goodwill’.
Dokubo won the ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’ and the ‘Best Actress in a Comedy’ categories at the 11th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
In 2022, she declared interest in contesting the Asalga/Akulga federal constituency in the House of Representatives under the Labour Party.
Apart from acting and politics, Dokubo is also an author and social justice advocate. She once served as Special Adviser on Youth Affairs to Peter Odili, a former Governor of Rivers State.
She is currently the Chairman of Labour Party in Rivers State.
Dokubo was born as the first of six children in Buguma, a town in Asari-Toru, Rivers State in the South-South region of Nigeria. She went on to complete her primary and secondary school education at St. Mary State School Aggrey Road and Government Girls Secondary School respectively.
Her father was an engineer, while her mother was a school teacher. She is an alumna of the University of Port Harcourt where she earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degrees in Theatre Arts.
Dokubo made her screen debut during her youth service (NYSC) in a 1992 film titled Evil Passion. She has since been featured in and has produced several Nigerian films.
She founded and runs a non-governmental organisation, the Centre for Creative Arts Education (CREATE), which deploys the creative arts to empower women and the youth.
In June 2020, Dokubo joined other protesters in a street march in Lagos against rape and other violent crimes against women. In October 2020, she was part of the End SARS protests in Port-Harcourt against police brutality Alongside Kate Henshaw in March 2020, Dokubo launched an online protest against the appointment of Senator Ishaku Elisha Dabo of Adamawa North Senatorial District as a patron of the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
