Nigeria is set to witness yet another election in 2023. And the dynamics in this present electioneering season are quite interesting. From the growing numbers of voter registration across the country with a more conscious youth population, to a shift in people vying for political posts.
A notable trend in the present political dynamics is the number of celebrities abandoning familiar territory in entertainment to go for political office.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE took a peek into the life of five Nigerian celebrities who have taken to a seeming new career in politics.
1. Yul Edochie – He wants to be president
Yul Chibuike Daniel Edochie, prominently known as Yul Edochie is the last of six children to veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie.
Born 7 January 1982 and raised both in Lagos and Enugu, Yul is named after Russian actor Yul Brynner. He attended the University of Port Harcourt, where he studied for the Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts.
Edochie Joined Nollywood in 2005 in his first film titled The Exquires alongside Justus Esiri and Enebeli Elebuwa. He got his break in 2007 after featuring alongside Genevieve Nnaji and Desmond Elliot in the movie Wind of Glory.
In 2015, Edochie opened a film academy in Lagos. The academy gives talented people the opportunity to be introduced to the Nigerian Film Industry.
Yul jumped from entertainment in 2017 when he declared his intention to run for Governor of Anambra State. He was among the young people who took up the Not Too Young to Run movement, following the passing of the Not Too Young To Run bill by the senate of the federal government of Nigeria.
His declaration was made officially on the 22 of August 2017, when he picked up the nomination form of the Democratic People’s Congress political party and eventually became the flag bearer and gubernatorial candidate of the party to run for governor of Anambra State. He got less than 200 votes in the election.
Yul Edochie has declared his intention to run for the position of the President of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential elections.
Yul who recently received heavy knocks by many of his internet fans for marrying a second wife. He said experience had prepared better to rule the country as a good leader.
“As President I will make good decisions that may not favour certain people, I will provoke the corrupt ones, they will insult me, they will spread negative news about me.
‘’And in the face of it all I will stand firm and unshakeable; I will never react in anger nor attack anyone unjustly.
‘’I will remain focused on the task of rebuilding our country, Yul said.
Many of his fans said he wasn’t good enough to become the president of the nation because he married a second wife. It was not clear if the party has picked him as its presidential candidate.
2. Tonto Dikeh – Rivers’ ADC deputy guber candidate
Tonto Dikeh, a popular Nollywood actress and songwriter recently emerged as the running mate of the Rivers State gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Tonte Ibraye.
Dikeh, who got married recently, is the third of seven siblings, born into a family of Mr Sunny and Mrs Veronica Dikeh. Her family is of Ikwerre descent from Obio-Akpor, LGA of Rivers State. She is said to have lost her mother at the age of 3, and was raised by her step-mother.
Dikeh studied petrochemical engineering at Rivers State University of Science and Technology.
Tonto Dikeh and Tonte Ibraye’s pairing in politics might very well be one of the biggest surprises of the year. But, while some Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the development, she appears poised to erase certain misconceptions while ensuring she and her principal, Mr Ibraye, emerge victorious come 2023.
In a recent interview with Channels TV, the actress-turned-politician spoke about her political ambition and manifesto.
Among other things, the mother-of-one acknowledged that while she might be termed controversial, Nigerians will see a different side to her in the months leading to the elections.
She said: “I’m a woman of controversy, yes. But that doesn’t mean I’m not loyal to what I believe in. I believe in good governance and opportunities for the youth women, including them in government decision-making’’.
3. Funke Akindele: Lagos PDP deputy guber candidate
Funke Akindele-Bello Olufunke Ayotunde was born on August 24 1977.
Popularly known by her comedy show name Jenifa, Funke is both an actress and producer. She starred in the sitcom I Need to Know from 1998 to 2002, and in 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Funke recently made headlines when she separated with her husband, Abdul Resheed Bello, known as JJC Skillz. Following this closely, the Nollywood actress and filmmaker, was named Peoples Democratic Party deputy governorship candidate of Lagos State, Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor.
Almost like Yul Edochie, Funke received a lot of heavy knocks for a failed marriage. Many of her critics asked her how she believed she could hold a leadership position when she couldn’t hold a man down.
The actress undeterred, ignored her critics and, while confirming her position, the actress revealed that she has suspended her acting career to focus on her new political aspiration.
4. Carolyna Hutchings – Akwa Ibom AAC deputy guber candidate
Hutchings recently announced her nomination as the deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress in Akwa Ibom State.
Born Caroline Uduak Abasi Ekanem, Hutchings was born to a Scottish father and a Nigerian mother. She is the first of three children and studied environmental protection management, geography and regional planning at the University of Calabar. She also obtained a certificate of achievement in organisational behavior from Edinburgh Business School in 2016.
Also formerly known as Caroline Danjuma and Caroline Ekanem, Hutchins made her debut as an actress in 2004, starring in some of Chico Ejiro’s popular films through Rita Dominic who introduced Hutchings to the Nigerian film industry in 2004 in the film Deadly Care.
She starred in other successful films, including Deadly Kiss in 2004, Missing Angel in 2004, The Captor (2006), Foreign Affairs, Real Love, and others. She received an honour for her advocacy programs centered around building capacities for Nigerian youths by a Pan-African organization.
Hutchings also has a history of having married more than one man as she is said to have married Musa Danjuma, the younger brother of Theophilus Danjuma, in 2007. The marriage however, ended in a divorce in 2016. The couple has two sons and a daughter.
Although many local publications have cited Hutchings’ birth year to be 1980 or 1981, she has repeatedly stated that she was born on 26 June 1987, and provided her master’s degree identification card as proof in 2015.
5. Banky – W: PDP House of Reps from Lagos
Actor and singer, Bankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W won the PDP primary ticket for the Eti-Osa constituency in the Federal House of Representatives ahead of the 2023 general elections.
It was a double win for the singer as he was earlier declared the winner in the first primary election but the result slip showed his challenger, Sam Aiboni, as the winner.
Following the controversy, another primary was conducted after two weeks and Banky W won again, polling 24 votes out of 29 votes cast by the delegates.
Banky-W is a popular Nigerian rapper, singer, actor, and musician. His real name is Olubankole Wellington. He was born on the 27th of March 1981 in the United States to Nigerian parents.
He is married to Adesua Etomi. After successfully keeping their relationship a secret from social media, they shocked their fans when they announced their marriage.
On November 11, 2018, Banky W declared his intention to run for the Lagos’ Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. He was going to do this on the platform of Modern Democratic Party, formed in 2017.
Banky-W said he ventured into politics because of his desire to impact and improve his community and the desire to be a part of the progress all Nigerians wanted to see.
While many were skeptical of his move into politics, Banky-W received as much support from fans, especially youths. Whether they indeed bought into his vision and thought him competent or they voted for him out of loyalty to his art is what we might never know.
Banky-W is also loved by many because he does not have the ‘baby mama drama’ so accustomed to many other celebrities.
