by Kolapo Olapoju

Nollywood actress, Offiong Kate Henshaw may be headstrong about her journey to politics, but her mother is far from ecstatic about the whole thing.

Henshaw, who yearns to represent Akpabio Bakassi federal constituency at the Federal House of Representatives, says her mother is totally against the idea of her venturing into politics, and even initially refused to pray for her.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Kate Henshaw said: “My mum said ‘no way’. I told her to pray for me and she said she wasn’t going to, so I told her I’d pray for myself. Some cousins of mine in Calabar then called her and told her to encourage me, that what I want to do is good. She told them someone else should go into it, and they asked her why someone else should. They told her I should do it because it would be good for the state. She finally agreed.”

The iconic thespian also disclosed that friends have advised her to be wary of the dirty nature of Nigerian politics.

Henshaw stated, “Friends have also been supportive. They say I’m strong. They also say this is my kind of thing because I fight for people. But they advised me to be careful because politics is dirty. I told them the only way things will get better is if good people get inside. One can only change things if inside, not from the outside.”

“During my campaign, one thing I know for sure is that I’m not going to promise heaven and earth. When you promise too much, you are may end up not doing anything and that becomes a problem.”

Kate Henshaw would also defend the current rush into politics by several entertainers, saying that ‘as long as they are credible’ and willing to work for the people, they are within their rights to contest.

She said, “There’s nothing wrong with entertainers going into politics. Doctors go into it, people without certificates go into it, so why shouldn’t an entertainer do so? It is a right. As long as they are credible and will do the work they say they will, give them a chance.”

Kolapo Olapoju