Nigerian music artist, Olubankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, has officially joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and is set to run for a seat in the House of Representatives.
The singer took to his social media pages on Friday to declare his intention to contest for the seat of Eti-Osa federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
In a video posted on his Twitter page to announce his intention, Banky W recounted how he, in the past years, has been actively engaged in community service and attempted to be part of the solution to the problems in his constituency.
In his message, the singer said Nigerians can no longer settle for candidates who feel entitled to their place in government. He explained that Nigeria needs innovation and reform and this “will happen when enough of us with like minds, who have the best interest of the nation at heart are in government.
“I will once again be answering the call to serve to represent Eti-Osa Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Some may not agree or understand my decision to run or my choice of the platform but I have learnt that we must engage with Nigeria where it is not where we hope that it should be. We must no longer be content to shout from the sidelines, we must get into the system and fix it.
“The problems in Nigeria are from the top down but the solutions are from the bottom up hence the need for some of us to infiltrate the major platforms that exist in order to build an army of like minds who will enter government with the same agenda,” he said.
We must engage with Nigeria where it is, not where we prefer for it to be.
In 2019, we planted the seed. In 2023, by the grace of God, and with your support, we will win the seat. The time for just talking is over. It’s time to #TalkAndDo. I hope I can count on you. We move. pic.twitter.com/lCGO4PpCBj
— Banky Wellington (@BankyW) April 1, 2022
Banky W is running for this position for the second time. In the 2019 general elections, he contested for the same seat under the Modern Democratic Party (MDP), a political party founded in 2017 by some youth associations but lost out after the poll.
He said the race then, was not just about winning a seat but about planting a seed in 2018 that his destiny is to stay in Nigeria and make his community and the country better.
