Regardless of recognition, Nigerian entertainers fail to clinch political seats

Recognition, they are saying, is a crucial success issue for a politician and her/his celebration to win elections. However that hasn’t been the case with most Nigerian entertainers who, regardless of their movie star standing, have continued to undergo embarrassing defeats at numerous polls throughout the nation.

Previous to the 2023 normal elections, some business heavyweights introduced their retirements and sojourn into partisan politics. Amongst them are Nollywood actresses Funke Akindele and Tonto Dikeh, who have been the deputy governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos and Rivers states, respectively.

Others embody actor Femi Department, who was the deputy governorship candidate of the Nationwide Rescue Motion in Ogun State; singer Olubankole Wellington, popularly often called Banky W, who ran for the Eti-Osa Home of Representatives seat below the PDP, and “The Johnsons” star, Olumide Oworu who was the Labour Celebration candidate for the Surulere Constituency 1 seat within the Lagos State Home of Meeting.

DAILY POST noticed, sadly, that the voyages of Nigerian entertainers into the murky waters of politics haven’t been easy crusing.

Apart from veteran actor-cum-politician, Desmond Elliott, who defeated Oworu, the remainder of the pack misplaced their bids.

Funke Akindele

Akindele was the working mate of the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, aka Jandor, within the simply concluded Lagos State governorship election.

Many had excessive hopes for her and her principal, contemplating her movie star standing and “road credibility”.

Nonetheless, all these hopes have been dashed when she and her boss completed a distant third (62,449 votes) behind the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC (762,134 votes), and LP candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (312,329 votes).

Days later, the actress deleted all marketing campaign photographs from her social media pages.

Banky W

Veteran singer/rapper and document label boss, Olubankole Wellington, higher often called Banky W, made the headlines when he misplaced the Lagos State Eti-Osa Federal Constituency election to a less-known Attah Thaddeus of the Labour Celebration (LP).

The LP candidate, surprisingly, polled 24,075 votes as in opposition to 18,666 votes by Banky W, who was the PDP candidate, whereas the incumbent, Babjide, son of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence and APC candidate, acquired 16,901 votes.

The music govt had beforehand misplaced the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency election in 2019.

His newest electoral defeat triggered a few of his mates, like Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon, to problem the victory of the “unpopular” LP candidate, Thaddeus Attah, on-line, which didn’t sit nicely with many social media customers.

Tonto Dikeh

Controversial Nollywood actress and model influencer Tonto Dikeh suffered an analogous destiny as her colleagues within the Rivers State governorship election.

Dikeh’s movie star prowess failed to avoid wasting her and her boss, Tonte Ibraye, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State, from shedding to Simi Fubara of the PDP.

Regardless of her recognition, her celebration carried out poorly on the ballot, with the APC and Labour Celebration doing much better than them.

Shortly after the election, she took to her Instagram web page to thank her followers and well-wishers for his or her help regardless of the defeat, insisting that she cherished the expertise.

Olumide Oworu

Rising actor, Olumide Oworu was not formally entered into the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) portal because the Labour Celebration candidate for the Surulere Constituency election. Nonetheless, he campaigned for the place below the platform.

He claimed that INEC didn’t enter his title on account of some purpose. Adebayo Bode was the title formally entered because the LP candidate for the election.

However, the LP misplaced to the incumbent, Desmond Elliott of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

APC polled 17,837 votes in opposition to 7,822 votes by the LP, and 1,045 votes by the PDP candidate, Thompson Sulaimon Abolaji.

Oworu and his supporters have been reportedly attacked throughout one among their campaigns.

Femi Department

Veteran actor and filmmaker, Femi Department was the working mate to the Ogun State gubernatorial candidate of the Nationwide Rescue Motion, Tofunmi Ogunronbi, within the simply concluded election, which the duo misplaced to the incumbent, Dapo Abiodun of the APC.

His movie star standing couldn’t affect the voters as his celebration was among the many backside losers.

APC polled 276,298 votes to emerge the winner, whereas the PDP candidate, Ladi Adebutu, scored 262,383 votes to return second.

Biyi Otegbeye of the ADC polled 94,754 votes to return third.

Femi Department rejected the outcomes, insisting that the election was flawed.

The actor wrote through Instagram, “It’s the audacity for me! After shopping for (sharing) the voters between themselves, APC and PDP additionally compromised the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee; and the small events are struggling for it. Any candidate declared winner in Ogun State is a fraud.

“First, (there have been) faux poll papers and after protests lasting over two hours, one other set (of poll papers) was introduced, and we lastly voted; just for them to depend solely APC and PDP votes,” he added.

Honorable mentions:

Actress Carolyna Hutchings was the working mate to the African Motion Congress governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Iboro Otu, earlier than stepping down a day earlier than the election.

The election was finally gained by PDP candidate, Umo Eno.

TV actuality star Tuoyo Ideh was the Home of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance celebration (APGA) for Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

Nonetheless, the previous Huge Brother Naija housemate misplaced the election to the incumbent, Thomas Ereyitomi, of the PDP.