Entertainment

2023: Nigerian celebrities who lost their election bids

Published

1 year ago

2023/03/29

Nigeria’s 2023 general elections featured many celebrities aspiring for different political positions.

So that you will not need to start Googling those who lost, we have compiled a list of the celebrities that lost their election bids and the positions they vied for during the 2023 general elections.

Funke Akindele

Funke Akindele, also known as Jenifa, is a Nollywood actress. She was, in 2022, announced the running mate of the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, aka Jandor, in the March 18 Lagos State governorship election.

The Jando-Funke ticket was defeated by the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 762,134 votes. Funke’s PDP polled 62,449 votes while Labour Party (LP) candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (312,329 votes).

A few days after the defeat, Funke Akindele deleted all campaign photos from her social media pages.

Tonto Dikeh

Tonto Dikeh is a controversial Nollywood actress and social media influencer. Like Akindele, Tonto Dikeh contested as the deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State along with Tonte Ibraye.

Simi Fubara of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the election.

Banky W

Nigerian musician and record label boss, Olubankole Wellington, well known as Banky W, contested to represent the Eti Osa Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.

He was swept along with the “Obidient” revolution in Lagos state as he shockingly lost the election to the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Achief Thaddeus Atta.

The LP candidate, surprisingly, polled 24,075 votes as against 18,666 votes by Banky W, who was the PDP candidate, while the incumbent, Babjide, son of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence and APC candidate, got 16,901 votes.

Femi Branch

Femi Branch is a veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker. He tested his popularity in politics as the deputy governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) alongside Tofunmi Ogunronbi in the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial election in Ogun state.

The incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the election 276,298 votes. The candidate of the PDP, Ladi Adebutu polled 262,383.

Femi Branch however rejected the results claiming the state’s election was flawed.

The actor wrote via Instagram, “It is the audacity for me! After buying (sharing) the voters between themselves, APC and PDP also compromised the Independent National Electoral Commission; and the small parties are suffering for it. Any candidate declared winner in Ogun State is a fraud.

“First, (there were) fake ballot papers, and after protests lasting over two hours, another set (of ballot papers) was brought, and we finally voted; only for them to count only APC and PDP votes,” he added.

Olumide Oworu

Rising actor, Olumide Oworu, campaigned to represent the Surulere Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly on the Labour Party (LP) platform.

Meanwhile, based on the official list the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) made available to the public.

The name on the INEC list is Adebayo Bode, but Oworu claimed INEC failed to enter his name due to some reason.

he however lost the election to incumbent and Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

APC polled 17,837 votes against 7,822 votes by the LP, and 1,045 votes by the PDP candidate, Thompson Sulaimon Abolaji.

Carolyna Hutchings

Actress Carolyna Hutchings, known previously as Caroline Danjuma and Caroline Ekanem, running mate to the African Action Congress governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Iboro Otu, before stepping down a day before the election.

The election was eventually won by PDP candidate, Umo Eno.

Tuoyo Ideh

Former Big Brother Naija (BBN) housemate, Tuoyo Ideh contested to represent the Warri Federal constituency in the National Assembly on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance party (APGA).

He lost the election to the incumbent, Thomas Ereyitomi, of the PDP.