Mercy Johnson vs Power Oil: Actress Says Brand Still Uses Her Image Four Years After Endorsement Contract Ended
Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson Okojie has publicly challenged vegetable oil brand Power Oil, accusing it of continuing to use her image in advertisements four years after her endorsement contract ended. The Mercy Johnson Power Oil dispute became public after she raised it on Instagram on Monday, September 28, 2026.
In her post, the actress said she had not been paid or compensated for the use of her image since her contract expired, and that the company was still running adverts carrying her face without consulting her or her team. She asked her followers to help her question the brand about why this was happening. She also urged the company to respond to her representatives, adding that she did not want the disagreement to escalate and that enough was enough.
Johnson said she saw one of the adverts herself on a billboard at Nana Plaza in Wuse 2, Abuja, and shared a video of it. She claimed her image also appears on buses and other promotional materials. In a second post, she shared footage of the original advert she filmed for the brand and told Power Oil to check its direct messages and get in touch with her team. She also questioned whether the company would treat an Indian entertainer in the same way, asking whether it could use an artist’s image in India after a contract had ended.
The actress asked members of the public to record any Power Oil adverts they come across that feature her image and to send her the details. Several fans replied with videos and photos, and she responded to some of them. Reports say she did not disclose the exact dates or terms of the original agreement.
Reaction online has been mixed. One commenter noted that ambassador contracts run for a fixed period and that a brand must either stop using the ambassador’s image or renew the deal when the term ends, a point Johnson said was absolutely correct. Another advised her to check her contract carefully, since some agreements allow limited use of the image after the term ends. The specific terms have not been made public, so it is not possible to say which view applies here.
As of the latest reports, Power Oil has not publicly responded to the allegations. The reports also note that the brand sponsored the fourth season of Johnson’s cooking show, Mercy’s Menu, which began on March 3, 2024, on ROK on DStv and GOtv. It is not clear how, if at all, that arrangement relates to the endorsement she says ended four years ago.
Johnson is a well-known actress, filmmaker, entrepreneur and influencer who works with other brands. In March 2026, Girls Tag named her and her daughter, Purity Okojie, as ambassadors for its period care pack.
Legal experts say disputes over image rights in Nigeria often turn on the wording of the contract, including the length of the licence, the media covered and any clauses on print materials already produced. Public call-outs like this one frequently lead to private settlements, although neither side has said what it intends to do.
For now, the matter remains an allegation from Johnson, and the brand’s answer is awaited.
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