Banky W Marks One Year as US Pastor After 2023 Election Defeat: ‘God Wasn’t Trying to Put Me in a Box’

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Nigerian singer, filmmaker and entrepreneur Bankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, has marked his first anniversary as an ordained associate pastor in the United States, reflecting on how his defeat in the 2023 House of Representatives election became a turning point in his spiritual journey.

The entertainer, who also serves as a Global Ambassador at We Are Union Church, shared the milestone in an emotional Instagram post around October 8–9, 2026, describing how the disappointment of losing the election for Eti-Osa Federal Constituency led him to surrender his plans to God and reconsider his calling.

Banky W contested the 2023 election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but lost to the All Progressives Congress candidate, Babajide Obanikoro.

Reflecting on the experience, the 45-year-old said the electoral defeat left him heartbroken, prompting him to seek direction through his faith.

“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. “When the dust settled, I took those pieces back to God. And I surrendered.”

According to the singer, the period forced him to reconsider the different aspects of his life, including politics, entertainment, business and ministry, as he sought to understand the direction his future should take.

He eventually came to the realisation that his calling did not require him to abandon one pursuit for another.

“Somewhere along the way, I realised that I was asking God to choose between things He had never asked me to separate. It wasn’t either/or. It was all of the above. Turns out, God wasn’t trying to put me in a box. He was expanding my assignment,” he stated.

Banky W now serves as an Associate Pastor and Global Ambassador at We Are Union Church, a non-denominational Christian church with campuses across the United States, led by Pastors Stephen and Zai Chandler.

He also works as a teacher and leader at Union College, adding academic and ministerial responsibilities to his established career in entertainment and entrepreneurship.

Despite his new role in ministry, the singer made it clear that he has no plans to abandon his other professional pursuits.

“So yes, I’m still a filmmaker, musician, and entrepreneur. But somehow, by the grace of God, I’m also a Pastor AND a Professor,” he said.

The entertainer also acknowledged the demands of travelling regularly between Lagos, Nigeria, and the DMV area, which encompasses Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, to fulfil his commitments.

Despite the challenges of balancing his responsibilities across countries and professional fields, he described the experience as worthwhile.

Marking the anniversary, which he affectionately called his “1st Unionversary,” Banky W expressed gratitude to God for the opportunities, lessons and changes that had shaped his journey.

His latest reflection highlights a new chapter in the life of a public figure who has built a career spanning music, film, business and politics before taking on a more prominent role in Christian ministry.

For Banky W, the transition has not meant abandoning his previous ambitions but bringing his different interests together under what he describes as an expanded assignment.