By Annette Ikponmwonba | November 10th, 2026
Key Points
· Nollywood actor Olumide Oworu has declared his intention to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections
· He will run for the Surulere I Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
· He announced his candidacy in an Instagram post on Tuesday
· In 2023, he sought a Lagos State House of Assembly seat under the Labour Party but his name did not appear on the final ballot
· He said administrative hurdles did not end his political ambition and called on young people to take part in decisions affecting their future
· The APM is the platform of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who has declared his presidential ambition
Main Story
Nollywood actor Olumide Oworu has declared his intention to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections, after he was excluded from the ballot in his 2023 bid for the Lagos State House of Assembly. He announced his candidacy for the Surulere I Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
The actor, who contested under the Labour Party in 2023, said his previous experience had strengthened his resolve to take part in governance. “In 2023, we dared to believe that things could be different. We stepped out, we organized and we proved that the youth of Surulere Constituency 1 are ready for governance driven by conscience,” he wrote.
He said administrative hurdles kept his name off the final ballot but did not mark the end of his ambition. “Despite the administrative hurdles that left our names off the final ballot, your resilience showed me that our vision was never a passing phase. Instead, it was the beginning of something much more significant,” he added. Declaring his 2027 bid, he said, “That is why I am incredibly proud to declare my candidacy for the House of Representatives (Surulere 1 Federal Constituency) in the 2027 elections under the banner of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).”
The Issues
Oworu’s story reflects a recurring problem in Nigerian politics, where candidates can lose their place on the ballot through party disputes and legal battles rather than at the polls. In 2023, he was expected to challenge incumbent lawmaker Desmond Elliot, but a report at the time said his name was absent from the ballot, while Adebayo Bode was listed as the Labour Party candidate on the official declaration of result sheet. The candidates had been involved in legal disputes that remained unresolved until the build-up to the election.
His move also fits a wider trend of entertainers and young professionals seeking elective office, hoping to turn visibility and youth appeal into votes. Moving from a state assembly seat to a federal constituency, and from the Labour Party to the APM, signals a bigger ambition and a new political base, The APM link adds a political dimension. With Makinde running for president on the same platform, Oworu’s candidacy may benefit from, or be tied to, how well that campaign performs in Lagos.
What’s Being Said
Oworu framed his run as a generational call. “We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while our future is decided by a political class that won’t have to live with the consequences of today’s choices,” he wrote. He urged residents to back his ambition, saying young people should have a say in decisions affecting their future, No response from rival candidates, the APM or other parties was included in the report.
What’s Next
Attention will turn to whether Oworu is formally listed as the APM candidate for Surulere I and how his campaign takes shape in a constituency with established political players. Given his 2023 experience, observers will watch whether his candidacy is secure ahead of the ballot, His campaign is also likely to draw interest from young voters and the entertainment community as the 2027 race builds.
Bottom Line
Olumide Oworu is returning to the race after being kept off the 2023 ballot, now aiming higher with a House of Representatives bid on the APM platform, and betting that Surulere’s young voters will back a conscience-driven campaign this time.
