Funke Akindele confirms that she is the PDP's deputy governorship candidate in Lagos State

NOLLYWOOD actress Funke Akindele has confirmed that she has been selected as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deputy governorship candidate in Lagos State ahead of next year's gubernatorial elections.

Like most other states in Nigeria, Lagos will go to the polls to elect a governor next year with the PDP fielding Olajide Adediran as its candidate. In that is looking like a two-horse race, Mr Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, will be facing the incumbent, Governor Babajide Sanwoolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ms Akindele has confirmed in a video posted on her Instagram page that Mr Adediran has picked her as his running mate. In the video she posted earlier today, Ms Akindele  revealed her reasons for becoming a running mate.

She said: “I saw it as an opportunity to help liberate and improve the wellbeing of our people, particularly the deprived youth, women and the girl-child. My decision is not just to accept this huge responsibility but to also work tirelessly and complement Jandor’s burning desire to see our dear Lagos live up to its full potentials.”

Meanwhile, when she said her name at the end of the video, Ms Akindele, an indigene of Ikorodu, did not include her husband’s name in the recording. This is no surprise, however, as two weeks ago, her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz, announced that they have gone their separate ways.

Mr Bello, who confirmed the separation in an Instagram post on July 1, said things had not been going well between him and the actress over the last two years, adding that all efforts to reconcile their differences had proved abortive. Ms Akindele, however, has remained silent on her separation from her husband as she is yet to address Mr Bello’s claims.