Nigerian comedian Aderombi Adedayo Martins, widely known as DeeOne, has added his name to the growing list of entertainers seeking elective office in the upcoming elections. The former Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) contestant has secured the candidacy of the 'Because Of Our Tomorrow' (BOOT) Party for Ibeju-Lekki Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly election.
Constituency Background
Ibeju-Lekki Constituency I is currently represented by Fatai Mojeed of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who also serves as the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. The BOOT Party, under which DeeOne is contesting, was officially recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 25, 2019, after securing a federal court order to prevent its deregistration.
Party Ticket Pricing
In May, the BOOT Party announced its ticket prices. According to the party's National President, Sunny Adenuga, candidates interested in State House of Assembly seats are required to pay N100,000 for the Expression of Interest form and N250,000 for the party's 'Trust Before Ticket' fee. DeeOne joins the ranks of Doris Ogala, Emeka Ike, and actress Esther Okereke, who have secured tickets in various categories of their respective political parties.
Worker, Not Boss
The comedian announced his primary victory in an Instagram post. He expressed gratitude to his party for the confidence shown in voting for him as the winner of the primaries for Ibeju Lekki Constituency 1. He stated, "To the Ibeju Lekki constituency 1, come 2027 by the grace of God, I will be your worker and not your boss." He also revealed that the party has adopted the ruling party's presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as its own candidate. Since the announcement, his Instagram followers have been divided in their opinions about his candidacy.
Rise to Fame and Controversies
DeeOne gained fame after participating in the third edition of Big Brother Naija in 2018, dubbed 'Double Wahala'. Other housemates in that edition included the late Rico Swavey and Anto Lecky, who is currently an appointee of the Edo State government. After BBNaija, he transitioned into full-time stand-up comedy, performing at major events and comedy shows across Nigeria.
No stranger to controversy, DeeOne once made headlines when he alleged on The Honest Bunch podcast that social media influencer Martins 'VeryDarkMan (VDM)' Otse was gay. The episode led to the exit of one of the presenters, Chinedu 'Nedu Wazobia' Emmanuel, from the show. In January, the comedian disclosed that he had been invited by the Nigeria Police Force, Force Intelligence Department (FID) for a routine interview. He further asserted that the invitation may be linked to a video he posted earlier about President Tinubu's visit to Turkey.
