Kanayo O. Kanayo
Mbaise, Imo State-born Anayo Modestus Onyekwere, popularly known as Kanayo O. Kanayo (KOK), made his first appearance in 1992 in movie, in the popular Igbo film, ‘Living in Bondage’ which spread like wild fire across Nigerian homes and stirred interests. Many Nigerians may never have forgotten the intriguing role of Kanayo in the movie where he acted as ‘Chief Omego’. Kanayo is a winner of African Movie Academy Award in 2006 for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Similarly, in 2013, he was appointed by Jonathan as board chairman of National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Studies. He also received Hollywood Award, London (2000); Ambassador Award, New York (2009) and Nollywood Award of Excellence.
Entering into politics, he joined the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and had his eyes on the seat of House of Representatives, member for Ahiazu/Ezinihite Mbaise Federal Constituency in 2011. However, he lost in the primary election.
Sani Danja
Kano-born Sani Danja is an artiste, songwriter, dancer and movie producer. He is also a movie director and entrepreneur. Danja is esteemed as one of the most celebrated entertainers from northern Nigeria.
Danja is an award-winning class of actor. He is a recipient of Afro Hollywood Award for the Best Actor in London, Star of Islam Awards in Ghana, SIM Award for Best Actor, City People Magazine Award for Best Actor and Producer of the Year, National Arts and Culture Award for Best entrepreneur of the Year. Danja who started singing at the age of 12 released his first single in early 1990s. The song titled ‘Yaki-taho-yaki’ was widely acclaimed as a successful hit and was regarded as the best-selling Hausa song at its time.
This successful Kannywood actor, whose celebrity rate and acting prowess have taken to Nollywood, also devotes much of his savings and time to business. For instance, he has delved from entertainment to estate development and car business.
Desmond Elliot
Early in his acting career, Desmond Oluwashola Elliot started playing roles in soap operas such as ‘Everyday People’, ‘One Too Much’ and ‘Saints and Sinners’. Also a movie director, he was one of the leading actors in Nollywood before his debut in politics and has appeared in over 200 films including ‘Men Who Cheat’, ‘Yahoo Millionaire’, ‘Atlanta’, in addition to a number of television shows and soap operas. He won Best Supporting Actor in Drama at the second Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 10th Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Recently, he featured in ‘The Department’ (a 2015 movie); ‘When Love Happens’ (2014); ’30 days in Atlanta’ (2014); ‘Kamara’s Tree’ (2013); ‘Kiss and Tell’ (2011); I‘ll Take My Chances’ (2011); ‘Bursting Out’ (2010) and lots more. Elliot declared in September 2014 to run for a seat in Lagos State House of Assembly to represent Surulere Constituency. Successful in his first shot in politics just as he has excelled in movie industry, he was elected a lawmaker on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
celebrBob Manuel Udokwu
Amiable Bob Manuel Obidinma Udokwu is one of the much-admired actors in Nollywood. He has also recently become a politician. Born in Enugu, he studied Theatre Arts in University of Port Harcourt. Udokwu’s debut in home movie was in the remarkable production titled ‘Living in Bondage’ in 1992. Between 1992 when he featured in ‘Living in Bondage’ and 1995 when he featured in the romantic thriller, ‘When the Sun Sets’ in his acting oeuvre, are such celebrated movies like ‘Evil Genius’, ‘Tokunboh’, ‘Blood Brothers’ and countless others.
Udokwu initially took a shot at politics, aiming to be a federal House of Representative member but could not scale through. However, his attempt in politics did not completely give him a bad outing as he is serving as a senior special assistant to Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, on Movie/Entertainment Industry. This is after he had served in the government of former governor of the state, Peter Obi, as senior special assistant on creative media.
Richard Mofe-Damijo
Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, became prominent as a Nollywood pioneer actor who later found himself in the corridor of politics pursuing a second career, when he was appointed commissioner for Culture and Tourism (Arts and Culture in some places) in Delta State under the administration of former Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Born on July 6, 1961 in Warri, Delta State and a graduate of Theatre Arts and of Law from the Universities of Benin and Lagos respectively, RMD became an asset to the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood) from its out-set in the mid-1990s. Barrister RMD has appeared as a lead man in over 100 stage plays and four major TV series on the Nigerian TV/Network and featured in over 50 movies which include: Violated, Scores to Settle, Suicide Mission, Diamond Ring, Out of Bound, Hostages among others. He has won many awards, very notable among which was the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2005. He won the Best Nigerian Actor Award in the Afro-Hollywood Awards for two years (1996 and 1999). The former commissioner was the pioneer President of the National Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP).
Onyeka Onwenu
Onyeka Onwenu is not only a renowned Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. She is also a journalist, politician and X-factor series judge. Former chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture, Onyeka is the youngest daughter of an educationist and politician, D. K. Onwenu. She became notable as a musician when her songs such as You and I Shall Live As One, Onye Bu Nwanne M, Ekwe, One Love, Iyogogo and others hit the airwave. Her musical endowments started in 1981 when she was in NTA for her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) assignment. It was in the same year that her first album titled ‘For the Love of You’ was released.
Onwenu who has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Communication of the Wellesley College of Massachusetts, USA, also holds a Master’s degree in Media Studies from The New York School for Social Research. In 1984, she wrote a BBC/NTA documentary dubbed ‘Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches’.
Onwenu was appointed by former President Jonathan as the executive director/chief executive officer of the National Centre for Women Development in September 2013.
Tony Tetuila
Anthony Olanrewaju Awotoye, popularly known as Tony Tetuila, is another Nigerian musician that delved into politics. Famous for his Afro-Hip-Hop style of music, especially the pidgin English track titled, “My Car” which was a box office. Formerly a member of the defunct music group, the Remedies (along with Eedris Abdulkareem and Eddy Montana), he split with the group and became a successful solo artist.
When Tony, who hails from Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, emerged on the political landscape to contest the 2015 National Assembly election for the House of Representatives’ seat of his home constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), it was a surprise to many. Though the move might not have been successful, the mere attempt at a political seat put him in the category of the Nigerian celebrities who later branched their way of politics.
Obesere
The popular Yoruba musician, Alhaji Abass Akande, a.k.a Obesere, may not have contested any political seat or held or canvassed for any political office in recent times, his dalliance with the class, especially during the 2015 electioneering campaign era, may be enough evidence to brand him, an entertainer turned politician.
The popular Fuji music icon has been seen as a campaign show promoter on the side of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) prior to the 2015 General Elections. He thrilled PDP supporters at President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Osogbo.
Abolore Adegbola Akande (9ice)
Popular musician, Abolore Adegbola Akande who is better known with his stage-name, 9ice, is among the celebrities who made attempts in politics recently. The crooner whose ‘Gongo Aso’ music album made waves among Nigerian music fans, joined the APC and aspired for a seat in the House of Representatives for Ogbomosho North/Ogbomosho South/Orire Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the 2015 election.
However, he lost in the December, 2014 APC primary election to Prince Akeem Oyewumi for the position. He did not take the result nicely as he rejected it, saying it was rigged and inconclusive.
He was, however, later appointed as a special assistant to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State. 9ice is also an ambassador to many organisations. He is also a UN Youth ambassador, Lagos State Environmental ambassador and also a Nelson Mandela Charity Organisation ambassador as well as Global Public Health ambassador to Society for Family Health.
Kenny Saint Ogungbe
Just as women right advocates have often lent their voices to the demand that women should be given a fair opportunity in the public domain and that politics should not be a men-affair, a female gospel singer, Kenny Saint Best Ogungbe, was among the celebrities who took a bold step from the entertainment stage to politics. She joined the APC to vie for a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly to represent Ikeja Constituency 1.
Ahead of the 2015 election, Kenny declared her intention to run on the platform of the APC. Kenny is the vice president of the popular Kennis Music. Some of her songs include ‘Turn Me Around’, ‘Live Your Life’, etc. matching her musical talent with politics, she came up with a song with strong theme for Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign during the last electioneering period before the presidential election.
Hilda Dokubo
“I didn’t go into politics, but I got a political offer,” was her reply at one time when asked why she made a foray into politics. True, Hilda Dokubo has never been known as a full-time politician as she is known as a Nollywood actress, but she is one Nigerian filmmaker that also had a stint in politics.
The Rivers State born actress, was one of the foremost Nigerian movie stars whose faces adorned Nollywood videos from the cradle of the industry which has today become the third largest movie industry, after Hollywood and Bollywood respectively.
The beautiful, ageless, actress who is known for her roles in films such as “Black Maria”, “End of Discussion “End of the Wicked”, “Onye Eze”, “Stigma”, etc., launched herself into politics when she was appointed Special Adviser (SA) to former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili, and she became one of the first, if not the first, of Nollywood celebrities to switch to politics from entertainment
Tony Tetuila
Anthony Olanrewaju Awotoye, popularly known as Tony Tetuila, is another Nigerian musician that delved into politics. Famous for his Afro-Hip-Hop style of music, especially the pidgin English track titled, “My Car” which was a box office. Formerly a member of the defunct music group, the Remedies (along with Eedris Abdulkareem and Eddy Montana), he split with the group and became a successful solo artist.
When Tony, who hails from Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, emerged on the political landscape to contest the 2015 National Assembly election for the House of Representatives’ seat of his home constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), it was a surprise to many. Though the move might not have been successful, the mere attempt at a political seat put him in the category of the Nigerian celebrities who later branched their way of politics.
Obesere
The popular Yoruba musician, Alhaji Abass Akande, a.k.a Obesere, may not have contested any political seat or held or canvassed for any political office in recent times, his dalliance with the class, especially during the 2015 electioneering campaign era, may be enough evidence to brand him, an entertainer turned politician.
The popular Fuji music icon has been seen as a campaign show promoter on the side of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) prior to the 2015 General Elections. He thrilled PDP supporters at President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Osogbo.
Source:leadership.
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