‘Why I Chose Politics’- Banky W Reveals, Talks About Losing The Election And His Wife’s Reaction To It

‘Why I Chose Politics’- Banky W Reveals, Talks About Losing The Election And His Wife’s Reaction To It

Singer turned politician Banky W has spoken on his loss at the
recently held National Assembly election. Banky W opened up about his
political ambition, his wife’s reaction and more.

On why he chose politics:

The
reason I ventured into politics was because of my desire to impact and
improve my community; the desire to do more than just talk, tweet and
complain about government and the issues facing young people, and the
desire to be a part of the progress we all seek. Most of us say we want a
better country, but that’s where we stop. I actually went for the
specific role in government that I felt I wanted to work in at this time
if given the opportunity. The House of Representatives would give me an
opportunity to serve the whole country as a federal lawmaker, and also
to serve my local community because of the constituency development that
each member of the National Assembly is responsible for. That dual role
of impact at the federal and local levels is what informed my decision
to attempt this race.

On losing at the polls:

I feel very
grateful, even in defeat, because of the things we were able to
accomplish. Just by running the kind of campaign we ran, and winning
some of the major polling units in our area, especially in places like
Lekki, Agungi, Idado, Northern Foreshore, Badore, etc. Even in the
places where we didn’t win, we were consistently placed in the top three
right alongside the two major powers that be. And we did all this with a
new, unknown party with no godfather or major sponsor and in the space
of three months. It shows that we can compete. You have to remember that
a lot of the voters were accustomed to just picking sides between the
All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party. We actually
earned every single vote we got, and that’s something to be proud of. We
also hopefully inspired our generation enough to know that it can be
done and to participate in the future. We made it to the top three in
just three months; imagine what we can do with four years of consistent
effort? We may not have won the election in Eti-Osa, but we won
something far greater. We won their hearts.

On why he did not pitch camp with the major parties, APC and PDP:

My
goal was not to just win an elected office; my goal was also to inspire
my generation to get involved. You see, there are millions of
disenfranchised young people who are fed up and frustrated by our
government and political parties. When we look at the numbers after
every election, it shows us that the turnout, especially among young
voters, is always very low. And it’s ironic to me because these young
people actually have the numbers to sway any election in this country,
from the presidential, all the way down. That power has always been with
the people, but the people don’t bother to use it. There are actually
always more people who do not participate than there are who are loyal
to (or paid by) a particular party. And so my goal was to try and
convince as many of those people who normally wouldn’t bother, to care
again. Nigeria can only really change if and when the young people
demand it, and get involved in mak ing it happen. And I feel like we’ve
sparked that movement with the race we ran. Our work has just begun. We
must now continue to build the movement, and sustain the momentum.

On Adesua’s reaction to his political ambition and the eventual loss:

Her
initial reaction was one of worry; she said politics in Nigeria is
dirty and dangerous, and she didn’t want anything to soil my name or
harm me. But I explained to her that it will always be dirty and
dangerous if good people avoid it. Some of us need to get into the
system to try and fix it, or it would remain rotten forever. And thank
God she understood why it was necessary, and went on to support me every
step of the campaign. (When I lost), she told me that she had never
been more proud of anyone in her entire life and that it was an honour
for her to be on my side. And then she called me her hero which was
quite emotional and still is.

On the possibility of quitting entertainment for music:

I’m
not quitting entertainment anytime soon and people can still expect to
see and hear from me as a musician and filmmaker. In addition, EME as a
media agency is doing fantastically well. In fact, ironically, the
company has never been more successful than it has been in the last two
years when we refocused our operations towards the agency space. So in
music, movies, and media, I will always be here, by God’s grace. But I
will also be doing a lot more work in service to the public, whether I
am ever given an elected office or not.

On the future of his political career:

I
intend to spend the next four years building the MDP movement in
preparation for the 2023 elections. When I look back at what we did in
just three months, I’m hopeful about what we can potentially achieve
within the next four years. I believe that by the grace of God if we are
consistent, we will be a lot more successful next time around. I also
have more music, movies, and media projects in store, and a lot more as a
businessman and family man to achieve.