Nigerian musician Olubankole Wellington, whose stage name is Banky W, has joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to run for House of Representatives in the 2023 general elections.

Banky W, for the first time, contested under the Modern Democratic Party (MDP) in 2019 but lost the election to Babajide Obanikoro, son of a former minister and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Refusing to give up, Mr Wellington has announced his intention to contest again in the upcoming 2023 election.

“I would like to announce that I will once again be answering the call to serve by attempting to secure a ticket to represent Eti-Osa federal constituency in the House of representatives of Lagos State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” announced Banky W in a broadcast posted on his Twitter page.

Disclosing why he joined the PDP, Banky W said he had a better chance of winning the election if he infiltrated the existing major platforms.

“Some may not understand or agree with my decision to run or my choice of platform,” he said. “But I’ve learnt that we must engage with Nigeria where it is, not where we hope that it should be.”

Despite the nation’s 18 registered political parties, APC and PDP remain the biggest platforms in Nigeria, having jointly produced presidents and a substantial majority of parliamentary seats since Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999.