OPEN LETTER TO BANKY W.

Dear Wellington,

It was with great joy that I received the news of your intention to vie for elective public office. I commend the courage you summoned to leave the bandwagon of noisemaking, favour-seeking Nigerian celebrities, who are always at the beck and call of politicians, craving political and nonfunctional political appointments. Your candidature gladens my heart for two major reasons.

(1) Capacity and Character : You have shown over the course of your career that you are a young man of grit, character and credibility with the visionary capacity to develop our human capital and as such, one that can be entrusted with the delicate future of Nigeria. Before our very eyes, you successfully built a music company from the scratch and transformed a street chap from Ojuelegba to the pride of Africa, a foreign export and perhaps the greatest pop star to come from Africa yet.

(II) The other reason I rejoice as regards your candidature is founded upon your seriousness in contesting for a realistic elective position, one at which you can learn the craft and cunning of the diabolical business of Nigerian politics and thence sharpen your teeth.

The aforementioned by themselves do not constitute the main reason for this letter. Rather, this letter is born out of the desire to have a young Nigerian that is hopeful, intentionally and willing to be committed to shaping Nigeria and making of it a great nation, one that coming generations will gladly call theirs.

My letter to you centers around a body of concerns highlighted in the underlisted points.

(1) POLITICS : Politics is simply warfare and must be approached as such, with mental and physical alertness. Nigerian politics though democratic in name is vastly different from the ideal democracy practised by the more refined nations of the world.

Nigerian politics is encapsulated in this infamous expression made by a former Head of state - 'It is a do or die affair'. To this present day, politicians have become political institutions in themselves. And just as the saying goes, all is fair in the love affair (between Nigerian politicians and seats of power) and warfare (between these politicians, their armies of cronies and the just as ferocious opposition) on the theatre of Nigerian politics. Therefore Mr. Wellington, expect to be brutalized, attacked physical and verbally and quite likely get a few hits below the belt. Assassinations are not off the menu of the Nigerian politician and I am sure shadows of these must have been cast across your way, if at all the full weight of reality hasn't hit you yet.

Politics in Nigeria is life-changing. As you have joined the race, the standard by which you will be judged has been raised, if not completely changed. Nothing concerning your life is personal anymore, everything ranging from your private bath, to your bald hair are now items in the court of public opinion and traffic generators in the media. Some of these stories will be largely false, the classic work of operators of rumour mills, but the public will buy them nevertheless because your media friends will sell it to them even at your detriment.

That you have decided to pitch your tent with an unknown political party implies that you must be ready and willing to work hard - double that of an average politician. Politics as you know is grassroot, and I must at this junction commend your campaign team who thus far have performed fantastically well. However, if the ultimate aim is victory at the polls, much work still need to be done and efforts require serious intensification. Furthermore, that you are a celebrity counts for little; if anything it is a disadvantage. You must engage the influencers of your constituency, your presence must be felt in every nook and corner of Eti-osa, and not just by posters alone. You must be active, physically and verbally.

Permit me to add this that in the event that the election result comes negative, your presence must continually be felt. Do not fall into that trap of retreating to your shell, for in politics your actions after election is often times more important when it comes to subsequent electorate actions. Sustained visibility rather than propaganda-driven occasional appearance should not be found anywhere near your quarters.

(II) Betrayal: Mr. Wellington, betrayal is at the heart of politics and it will always come from the least expected - I suppose that's why it is called betrayal. You will be making a first class political mistake if you expect loyalty from anyone, loyalty is a choice that cannot be forced but tested. If you expect everyone in the entertainment industry to support your candidature and campaign for you then your political tutors did not lecture you well and you are most certainly not ready for elective public office in Nigeria.

Folks will stab you in the heart and smile to your face! Brother, they will say good things about you on social media but paint a different picture elsewhere and will not be apologetic about it. However, your capacity to do well politically is centered on your ability to forgive and bear no grudge.

(III) FAMILY : My point on betrayal leads me to this next one. Ask every politician and you will be told that family is the most important asset a politician can have. They are the gift money cannot buy and one we will forever be grateful for. Seeing Adesua usher you on stage on your declaration day and her support for your candidature has doubled my respect for you. My brother, keep your loved ones close. Friends may leave but family sticks continually. Never prioritise your political office above them, though it is sacrosanct that they be informed that your new endeavor will take your time but their importance and place in your life must never be in doubt to them.

I do not claim to know you, for we have not met in person albeit, I have heard you speak of your friendship with captain Demuren and how as a friend he has transformed into a brother. If ever there was a time you needed him, now is the time.

(IV) LEARNING AND LEGACIES: The lesson politics will teach you will be vast and life-altering. In your little time you must have learnt a lot more than what your political tutor/adviser(s) ever taught you or you could have from books. No matter the outcome of the race, pen down your experience and make it freely available to everyone (PDFs on online platforms will be great). This is one gift/prize that is worth paying .

Finally, I wish you well and hope that you attain victory at the coming polls. I pray that come May 29, you will be address as Honorable Olubankole Wellington.

Thank you.

May God bless you.
May God bless Eti-Osa local government
May God bless Lagos state
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Adewumi Adedeji
Writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
0802790452
@_AdewumiAdedeji
Dejijupiter@gmal.com
#DPresidentDiary.

Nigerian politics is encapsulated in this infamous expression made by a former Head of state - 'It is a do or die affair'. Therefore Mr. Wellington, expect to be brutalized, attacked physical and verbally and quite likely get a few hits below the belt. Assassinations are not off the menu of the Nigerian politician and I am sure shadows of these must have been cast across your way, if at all the full weight of reality hasn't hit you yet.
APT and true!