Banky W to run for political office in Nigeria

The artist who found fame as a recording artist will run for a seat at the federal House of Representatives. If successful, he would represent the Eti-Osa local government area in Lagos. His campaign would take place under the Modern Democratic Party (MDP), a party started by youth associations.

“Our generation needs a realistic rallying point. We need to begin in community, earn our way into the system and up the ladder,” he said during his declaration. "We need someone to stick their neck out and pave the way. The problem is that we’ve always looked to our leaders for change…Instead, look in the mirror and look around you. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for all along.

“I have shared this vision with quite a few people. Some have been incredibly supportive, but some have advised against it. I am under no illusions that this run will be easy.”

Before a recent transitioning, Banky W’s Empire Mates was the record label responsible for signing Wizkid. And during his declaration, Banky W, whose real name is Olubankole Wellington, reminded his audience about his spotting of the younger artist’s talent, emphasizing the uses of optimism and potential.

“Hope is what convinced 2 young Nigerians that they could take a company that at one point wasn’t worth the paper it was registered on, and build it into one of the foremost media and entertainment empires in the country,” he said. “Hope is what convinced me that a scrawny little kid from Ojuelegba Shitta could one day become the biggest Artist on the African continent. “

Besides members of the party, friends and family of the artist were present, rapper MI Abaga among them. Making a comparison with the UK football club Arsenal, which he publicly supports, Banky W said, “I realized that all my years of Activism in Nigeria, didn’t amount to much more than my plight as an Arsenal fan.

"You see, as Arsenal fans, we love our club, but we knew it was time for change. We complained, we tweeted, we held up banners at the stadium, we shouted and hashtagged for many years.

“But until the people who were a part of the system – the board, the shareholders, the executives etc – until they decided that it was time for change, all of that noise would not have amounted to anything. Our former coach could have remained in that position until the day that he died and there’s not a damn thing any of us could have done about it.

“The same can be said for Nigeria. Until the day that we decide as a generation, to get involved with the affairs of our country, nothing will ever really change. The time has come for us to play our part.”