Nollywood Veteran Fidelis Duker joins race for House of Representatives seat

Veteran Nollywood filmmaker, media entrepreneur and cultural ambassador, Fidelis Duker, has declared his intention to contest for the House of Representatives seat for Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South Federal Constituency in Cross River State.

Duker officially joined the race after obtaining his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), signalling his entry into frontline politics after decades in the creative and media industry.

The Henshaw Town-born filmmaker said his decision to seek elective office was driven by the desire to deploy his global experience, business network and leadership expertise towards accelerating development across the constituency.

“Our constituency does not suffer from a lack of potential; it suffers from a lack of structured, globally competitive representation,” Duker said shortly after obtaining the forms.

“My career has been defined by creating wealth, building platforms, and placing Nigerian talent on the world map. I am stepping into this race to deploy that exact same global network, corporate discipline, and innovative leadership to bring sustainable development, youth empowerment, and infrastructure to Akpabuyo, Bakassi, and Calabar South,” he added.

Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Nigeria’s creative industry, Duker has spent more than three decades shaping Africa’s film and entertainment landscape.

He is the founder of the Abuja International Film Festival, recognised as West Africa’s longest-running film festival, and currently serves as Regional Secretary-General of the Federation of Pan African Filmmakers (FEPACI).

Over the years, Duker has represented Nigeria and the African creative sector at several global platforms, including the Cannes Film Festival in France, while also participating in strategic industry engagements across Europe and Africa.

Political observers believe his entry into the race introduces a new dimension to Cross River politics, particularly with his background in international relations, cultural diplomacy and private-sector enterprise.

Duker also boasts an extensive academic and professional background, with training from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Crawford University, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), BBC Training Academy and Deutsche Welle Training Akademie. He also studied at the Cross River University of Technology.

As Chief Executive Officer of FAD Media Productions, owners of FAD 93.1 FM Calabar, FAD FM 101.3 Abuja and FAD 360 TV, Duker has built one of the leading indigenous media brands with significant youth employment capacity.

He said his legislative agenda would focus on youth empowerment, technology-driven development, investment attraction and transparent constituency project execution.

According to him, the constituency possesses enormous economic potential, particularly in tourism, culture and coastal assets, which can be leveraged to attract foreign direct investment and create sustainable opportunities for young people.

Leaders of the NDC and several community support groups have welcomed his candidacy, describing it as a fresh opportunity to reposition the constituency for economic growth, international visibility and people-oriented representation.