By Ayo Onikoyi
RnB singer, Banky W shocked the entertainment world recently when he announced he would be contesting in the 2019 election under Modern Democratic Party, a political party founded in 2017 by a consortium of youth associations which pushed for the Not Too Young To Vote bill.
Wellington, 37, said he’s running for a seat in the Federal House of representatives, Eti-Osa LGA, Lagos where he says ‘there’s need for renewed hope and results, just like the rest of Nigeria’.
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Olubankole Wellington, who is also an actor, married to delectable actress, Adesua Etomi, during his declaration at the debut convention of his party made some remarkable statements, concerning the state of the nation, including never-before-heard revelations about his parents.
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He was reeling out his plans and hopes for his Eti-Osa constituency when revealed how his parents’ struggle inspired him to success.
“My dad was an orphan, who was shuffled from relative to relative, and depended largely on a combination of street smarts, book smarts, and athletic abilities, to put himself through school, using a combination of scholarships, student loans, and multiple part time jobs, he began during his inspiring speech.
“My mother’s story was not much different, born in Calabar, to a single mom, she was sent off to live with her relatives in Lagos. Through her belief in God, a lot of hard work, and sheer force of will, following her secondary education, she too earned and worked her way through University.
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“Neither of them grew up in particularly fortunate circumstances but they held on to a set of beliefs that I have since inherited. We believe that what you lack in wealth, privilege and connections, you can make up for with hope, hard work, and determination. My parents taught me that if you believe in God, believe in yourself, never give up hope and work hard, dreams that seem impossible, can indeed come true,” he added.
On why he has offered himself to serve the people of Eti-Osa local government, he 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.
The declaration event was attended by many professionals, celebrities, fans and citizens; with speeches by Jumoke Adenowo, Founder of AD Consulting & Awesome Treasures Foundation, Pastor Poju Oyemade, Senior Pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, MI Abaga, CEO of Chocolate City, Maryam Laushi, National Publicity Secretary of Modern Democratic Party (MDP) and Bukunyi Olateru-Olagbegi, Founder and Chairman of the Modern Democratic Party.