Banky W says his 2023 election loss broke his heart and helped lead him into pastoral ministry as he marks his first anniversary as a pastor
Nigerian singer, filmmaker and politician Bankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, has revealed that his defeat in the 2023 House of Representatives election left him heartbroken and became a turning point that eventually led him into pastoral ministry.
The entertainer shared the reflection while marking his first anniversary in pastoral ministry in the United States, describing how the political setback forced him to reconsider his purpose and seek divine direction.
Banky W said the election experience affected him deeply, despite the lessons and inspiration he gained from the campaign.
“In 2023 I lost an election. And while the experience inspired me in many ways, it also broke my heart into a million little pieces,” he wrote.
He explained that after the disappointment, he turned to God and surrendered the plans he had made for his future.
“When the dust settled, I took those pieces back to God. And I surrendered,” he said.
According to the singer, he initially questioned whether he should focus on leadership or ministry, entertainment or business.
However, he said he eventually came to understand that these different responsibilities did not necessarily have to compete with one another.
“And somewhere along the way, I realised that I was asking God to choose between things He had never asked me to separate,” he said.
“It wasn’t either/or. It was all of the above.”
Banky W added that the experience changed his understanding of purpose, leading him to see his calling as something that could expand rather than become restricted to one career path.
“Turns out, God wasn’t trying to put me in a box. He was expanding my assignment,” he added.
The entertainer said he now balances his work as a filmmaker, musician and entrepreneur with his responsibilities as a pastor and professor.
He also reflected humorously on the transition, recalling that he once joked that the letter “P” in his name, P. Banks, stood for professor rather than pastor.
“I used to joke that the ‘P’ in P.Banks stood for Professor, not Pastor. I guess God heard and said, ‘Why not both?’” he wrote.
Banky W also acknowledged the demands of travelling regularly between Lagos and the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia area to fulfil his professional and ministry commitments.
“Constantly travelling back and forth between Lagos and the DMV isn’t always easy. But has it been worth it? Absolutely,” he said.
Looking back on the past year, he said the experience had taught him that disappointment could sometimes lead to a new direction in life.
“One year later, I’m reminded that sometimes what feels like the end of your story is really just God turning the page,” he said.
“The election didn’t go the way I hoped. But God’s plans for my life are bigger than the plans I had for myself.”
Banky W contested the 2023 House of Representatives election to represent Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in Lagos State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He lost to Thaddeus Attah of the Labour Party.
The former candidate’s latest reflection presents the defeat not only as a political disappointment but also as an experience he believes helped reshape his personal and spiritual journey.
