Posted by In an open letter shared on Instagram on Tuesday, Nollywood actor and politician Yul Edochie urged his colleague Funke Akindele to keep going despite losing the recently-concluded Lagos State governorship election.
In the letter, the father of five praised Akindele for her bravery in taking part in the election process and urged her to repost any deleted images of her campaign-related activities from her social media accounts.
Remember that the incumbent governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, defeated Funke Akindele and her principal, Abdul-Azeez Adediran. The mother of two had since taken down her campaign’s images and videos from her social media profile.
Yul Edochie shared a picture of Funke Akindele on social media and advised her to put the pictures back on her page because they would serve as a reminder of her victories and battle wounds.
He claims that many of the people who made fun of Funke Akindele have dreamed of getting their name on the ballot.
In his speech, Edochie discussed his unsuccessful bid for governorship and his aspirations to become president.
He penned the following.
To my cherished coworker, @funkejenifaakindele.
“I want to congratulate you on taking the risky political step of running to be the deputy governor of Lagos State. You did a great job.
“I saw that you removed all of your campaign images from your Instagram page. Of course, it’s neither my place to sit in my home and inquire about your motivations nor is it my concern.
But I want to encourage you in order to inspire others by way of you as a caring friend and colleague.
A warrior never hides his or her wounds from battle. The scars are evidence that the person engaged in battle and survived. The warrior you are.
“Your campaign photos are among the scars from your battles. Wear them with pride. Those images should stay on your page indefinitely. For you, it’s a crucial time in history. a unique opportunity.
“No matter what anybody says to you. Do not let those who are mocking you for losing demoralize you. A kid’s brain worries about them.
“Cowards always make fun of those who are brave. That’s the only way they can make themselves feel better about being cowards. They’ll laugh at themselves when they’re older for not having the guts to try what you did.
As long as you keep trying, there are no failures in life. Either way, you learn something new. The person who doesn’t even try is the one who fails.
“You were chosen as the Deputy Governorship candidate out of the millions of Lagosians.
“In 2017 I ran for Governor of my state, from start to finish, and it’s one of the best things I’ve done in my life. One of my proudest moments. I learnt a lot.
“My campaign pictures are still on my page, my battle scars. I wear those scars proudly. And I’ll never give up. One day I’ll be the President of Nigeria.
“Funke, you will sit in your office someday as Deputy Governor or Governor or President and look at your first campaign pictures, and you’ll have tears of joy in your eyes.
“You will be proud of your journey. Never give up. I wish you the very best. May God lead you always.
It’s a human and spiritual honor to be given the opportunity to serve the people. It marks the beginning of your political journey. Never give up.