Popular musician and actor, Olubankole Wellington aka Banky W has declared his intention to vie for the House of Representatives seat for Eti-Osa Local Government of Lagos State in 2019.
The Wedding Party actor made this known in an announcement on Saturday, noting that he would be vying for the seat on the platform of Modern Democratic Party (MDP).
The seat is currently occupied by Hon. Babajide Akinloye of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wellington, who spoke at the party’s debut convention, said that “the time has come for us to play our part. We can no longer afford to remain mere spectators”.
The 37-year-old added that although many of his associates tried to convince him to vie for the presidency, “I believe in starting small, and working your way up”.
Wellington further said, “Our generation needs a realistic rallying point. We need to begin in community, earn our way into the system and up the ladder.
“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.
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“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.
“Considering who we are going up against, this is almost impossible. They said we don’t have the money to run. We say our strength lies in our numbers. They said we don’t have the structure, we say we will attempt to build it. They said ‘what if you lose?’ I say, ‘what if we win?’
“You see, my entire life has been a story of just dreaming dreams, praying about those dreams, setting goals, and working until they come true. I can live with trying and failing. I can not live with not trying.”