Banky W.

Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981 ), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician.

Olubankole Wellington was born in the United States on 27 March 1981 to Nigerian parents.

His family returned to Nigeria when he was five years old.

He began singing at a young age in his church choir.

Wellington schooled in Lagos for his primary and secondary education and returned to further his tertiary education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, US on a scholarship.

He started the record label Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) in 2002 while studying.

He also worked at GlobalSpec.

He released a début studio album, Back in the Building, in 2005.

His début single was Ebute Metta

He wrote the first theme song of Etisalat Nigeria titled "0809ja for life".

In 2009, he left the US for Nigeria and established his record label in Lagos by signing artists like Niyola, Shaydee, Skales, and Wizkid to the label.

The day after Valentine's Day of 2013, Wellington launched his new album R&BW with a concert tagged the "Grand Love Concert" at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos, which featured several other artistes including Iyanya and Waje.

The first two singles from the album are "Lowkey" and "Yes/No".

In 2017, Wellington took part in initialing of a monumental collaboration art piece, Iyasile Naa also known as The Legacy.

Wellington married Adesua Etomi traditionally on 19 November 2017; the couple subsequently had their white wedding performed in South Africa on 25 November 2017.

He had a successful skin cancer surgery on his shoulder in 2017.

In early 2021, Wellington and Adesua had a son.

They kept the pregnancy a secret, catching many off guard on news of the baby's arrival.

Wellington announced in February 2018 that E.M.E was being dissolved as a record label; he said the label would move forward as a talent management company focused on creative marketing, advertising, PR, and brand events.

Wellington named DJ Xclusive, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Tolu 'Toolz' Oniru, and his wife Adesua Etomi as the first set of clients of the rebranded company.

On 11 November 2018, Wellington announced his intent to run for the Lagos' Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat in Nigeria's House of Representatives, on the platform of Modern Democratic Party, formed in 2017.

On 23 February 2019, Wellington lost the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency Elections to Babajide Obanikoro of the All Progressive Congress.

Ahead of the 2023 general election, Wellington announced that he had decamped from the Modern Democratic Party to the Peoples Democratic Party, seeking the party's ticket to again vie for the Lagos' Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat in Nigeria's House of Representatives.

In June 2022, Banky W won the Peoples Democratic Party ticket to contest as the party bearer for the Eti Osa constituency ahead of the 2023 election.

However, the Presidential and Federal House of Representative election held on 25 February 2023 was won by the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Attah Thaddeus which saw Banky W losing again, the Federal Constituency seat in Nigeria.

The INEC Returning Officer announced the result but the party agents did not agree with it.

The Party agents contested the result but the police and the army were called to maintain peace and order.

In an interview after the result of the result of the election was announced, Banky W accepted the result of the INEC and declared: "I feel very grateful, even in defeat, because of the things we were able to accomplish."