The Nollywood industry has over time, produced lots of actors and actresses, including Kenneth Okonkwo, Desmond Elliot and Yul Edochie that have ventured into the political space since their rise to fame. This article is therefore, focused on how such actors have fared in the political space and the official positions they occupy in their various parties.
Nollywood veteran actors, Kenneth Okonkwo, Desmond Elliot and Yul Edochie are three among the many Nigerian celebrities that have made a name for themselves in both the film and political sectors of the country.
While Desmond Elliot and Yul Edochie kicked off their acting careers in the early 2000s, Kenneth Okonkwo had already captivated the minds of many persons through his breakthrough movie, “Living in Bondage”, which was released in 1991.
And so, following their rise to popularity through their debut movies, the veteran actors continued to thrill their audiences by featuring in several movies with the likes of Mercy Johnson, Uche Jumbo, Chika Ike, Ini Edo, Ramsey Nouah, Nkem Owoh, Tonto Dikeh and several others in the movie industry.
However, unlike many of their colleagues in such industry, these three talents have been able to showcase that they are not just skilled in acting but also have the mental and physical capacity to handle issues that have to do with politics.
Ever since they ventured into the political sector of the country, Kenneth Okonkwo, Desmond Elliot and Yul Edochie have handled several positions in their political parties and have also contested in several elections, some of which they did not win.
And so, this article presents how Kenneth Okonkwo, Desmond Elliot and Yul Edochie have fared so far in politics, and it is shown below;
1. Desmond Elliot; Nollywood veteran actor and director, Desmond Elliot ventured into the world of politics in 2014, when he declared his intention to run for the Lagos State House of Assembly under the platform of the ruling APC party. Desmond Elliot was able to win the Surulere Constituency in the April 2015 election, and he has since then carried out so many projects for the people of such constituency.
The Politician who also advocated for the Not Too Young to Run Bill, is currently a lawmaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing the Surulere Constituency. He was able to win such ticket for the third time, and will be contesting with his rivals for such position in the forthcoming elections.
2. Kenneth Okonkwo; Nollywood veteran actor and Lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo, ventured into the political space in 2014, when he declared his intentions to run for the House of Representatives Member Seat, representing Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency under the opposition party, PDP.
The actor could not however, clinch such position and later on, announced his governorship ambition in 2019 under the platform of the ruling APC party. Such ambition was also not actualized by Kenneth Okonkwo, although he never left the party until 2022 when he decided to dump the ruling APC party for Labour Party.
Kenneth Okonkwo is currently supporting the candidacy of 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi and is one of the spokespersons of the Labour Party 2023 Presidential Campaign Council.
3. Yul Edochie; Nollywood veteran actor, Yul Edochie is one among the many talents that has contributed immensely towards the growth of the film industry in Nigeria. The award winning actor has just like his colleagues, also ventured into the world of politics.
Yul Edochie won the Anambra State Democratic People’s Congress (DPC) governorship election of his party in 2017, although his dream of becoming the next governor of his state was not actualized. The brand influencer also won the Anambra State APGA 2023 presidential election, but decided to drop his presidential ambition few weeks after coming out victorious from such election.
Yul Edochie is still a member of the APGA political party in Anambra State.
What are your thoughts on these?.
Will the Nollywood industry be able to produce more politicians in the coming years?
Let’s hear from you on the comment section below.
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