Best dressed female: How Bobrisky award tore Nollywood stars apart

Following the events that transpired when controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, was named the “best dressed female” at the premiere of actress and filmmaker Eniola Ajao’s film “Ajakaju (Beast of Both Worlds)” last Sunday, the Internet was practically set on fire this week.

Amusa, Adebayo trade words

Actress Dayo Amusa criticised fellow actor Femi Adebayo for announcing the choice to award Bobrisky, which sparked a flurry of responses.

Amusa claimed that it was an insult to the ladies that were at the premiere for the award, which allegedly came with a cash prize of N1m, to be given to Bobrisky. According to her, if the organisers felt that cross dressers deserved to get an award, they should have created a category for them.

However, Adebayo’s wife, Aduke, was having none of that as she accused Amusa of hypocrisy, and stirring up further tension. She stated that if Amusa was not happy with the award, she should have directed her grievances at the organisers of the event, rather than her husband, who was only called upon to announce the winner.

On his part, Adebayo accused Amusa of not being happy with his success. He added, “You can never have peace of mind, because I have just started. You better channel your energy to your career.”

Bobrisky also sued for peace, urging critics to focus on the judges’ decision, rather than targeting Femi Adebayo.

Reacting to the call-out, some fans accused Amusa of unfairly targeting Adebayo.

A fan, City Girl, wrote, “But, he only presented the award. What’s his own?”

Kiki Sanchex opined, “She is trans(gender) and now identifies as a woman. I am not necessarily a fan, but she (Bobrisky) went there as a woman, dressed the part and won fair. I see no problem here.”

Omowunmi wrote, “Even if Bob(risky) did not win, Dayo you had no chance of winning.”

However, another fan, Lady Que, shared Amusa’s opinion. She wrote, “A man winning the best dressed female is disrespectful to women who attended the event.”

Portable, Bobrisky fight dirty

However, the drama took another dimension when controversial singer, Portable, condemned the decision to name Bobrisky the winner. Taking to his Instagram page, Portable asked Bobrisky to stop referring to himself as a woman. This led the duo to trade expletives in several voice notes.

Expectedly, Bobrisky did not take Portable’s criticism lightly, as she cursed the singer and his family.

As tensions continued to rise, one of Portable’s baby mothers, Honey Berry, issued a stern warning to Bobrisky, saying that she would hold him accountable if any harm befell her child due to the curses he had cast.

Not done, Portable went ahead to release a ‘diss’ track titled, ‘Yansh like Fufu’, which has been gaining traction online.

Ajao makes U-turn, tenders apology

Apparently overwhelmed at the turn of events, Eniola Ajao tendered a public apology to the people who felt offended by the decision to name Bobrisky the winner of the award. She added that it was nothing but a publicity stunt. A statement she released read in part, “I write to you today with a heavy heart, filled with regret and remorse over the events that unfolded at my movie premiere. I address you all today, taking full responsibility and seeking your pardon with my deepest regrets for the distress and turmoil caused by the events surrounding the premiere of ‘Ajakaju’.

“First, I want to extend my sincerest apologies to the Muslim community, especially during this sacred month of Ramadan. To the women in our society, I (also) want to express my profound apologies. I want to assure you that I have the utmost reverence for womanhood, and I would never intentionally engage in any behavior that diminishes or disparages the role of women in society.”

She also apologised to Femi Adebayo and his wife for the undue backlash they faced as a result of the announcement he made.

Ajao then took the prize away from Bobrisky and announced Iyabo Ojo, an actress, and Raheem Halimah, also known as Papaya Ex, a social media personality, as the new winners. They were each given a N1 million cash present.