When practitioners in the Nigerian entertainment scene decided to seek political office in this current democratic dispensation, there was a long list, including: Julius Agwu (comedian), Kate Henshaw (actress) and Desmond Elliot (actor/filmmaker). Others are entertainment mogul, Ben Murray-Bruce, actress Funke Adesiyan, as well as singers Abolore Akande (9ice), Kenny St. Best (KSB) and Tony Tetuila. Bob Manuel-Udokwu, Dayo Adeneye (D1), Yemi Solade, Debola Dabo, Kenneth Okonkwo, Sadiq Isa and Jim Iyke also made the list.
The primaries have been done with, and those still standing are Murray-Bruce, Elliot and Adesiyan.
Desmond Olusola Elliot was the first to clinch his ticket for the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s Lagos State House of Assembly primaries. In the Surulere Constituency 01, which ticket Elliot picked, the incumbent, Kabiru Lawal, was said to have stepped down for him. Elliot was able to pull support from women and youths in the constituency, who endorsed him.
The endorsement is said to have come because Elliot has been very active in the constituency, awarding scholarships to youths, providing free health insurance for the elderly and empowerment programmes for the widows and single mothers, among others.
Another practitioner aspiring to be a lawmaker, Funke Adesiyan, won Oyo State House of Assembly primary. Like Elliot, she contested on the platform of the APC.
Tony Muonagor (Tony One Week), who has been a lawmaker at the Anambra State House of Assembly on APC’s platform, got the ticket for his party to vie for the same position. Incidentally, that is the same seat Bob Manuel-Udokwu is vying for on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which primaries was declared inconclusive as at press time.
To cap up the winners of the primaries is former Director-General, Nigerian Television Authority, NTA and founder of Silverbird Group, Murray-Bruce, who clinched the ticket at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the Bayelsa East Senatorial District in the 2015 general election.
It was, however, not the same story for KSB, who contested in the primaries to represent Ikeja Constituency, as she lost the 2015 bid to Folajimi Mohammed, son of National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lai Mohammed.
D1 lost the bid to represent his Odogbolu Constituency at the Ogun State House of Assembly.
Also to have lost the primaries are Kate Henshaw and Afro folk singer, 91ce. The singer, who was on the APC platform, lost to Akeem Oyewunmi, a legal practitioner and son of an Ogbomoso high chief.
Kate was gunning for a chance to represent the Calabar South/Akpabuyo/Bakassi Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives on the platform of PDP. Kate was defeated at the primaries which held on December 6 in Calabar, Cross River State.
She announced her loss on her twitter handle, saying the election had been conducted in an orderly manner. She went on to congratulate the winner, while thanking those who supported her.
Apart from Julius Agwu, who is said to have officially withdrawn from the governorship race of Rivers State, the other entertainers earlier mentioned in this report seem to have allowed their ambition to fizzle out. Perhaps, they have learned their lessons from this present dispensation and will prepare better next time around.