The Oscar selection committee for Nigeria, NOSC, has reiterated its position
that no film should be submitted for the Academy International Feature Film category.
The committee voted 9-6 in favor of “preserving” the original votes from September 3, 2022,
according to a leaked video from Thursday, October 20, 2022.
Mahmood Ali-Balogun, the committee’s vice chairperson, Mildred Okwo, Shaibu Husseini, Ego Boyo, Moses Babatope,
and Kenneth Gyang were among the committee’s 15 members who voted against it.
Meanwhile the voting process in September that resulted in the majority of the committee’s members
voting against any of the three competing films
And they are Kap Films’ “Anikulapo,” EbonyLife Films’ “Elesin Oba,”
and Euphoria 360’s “King of Thieves” has caused a serious internal problem.
Also Read; Oscars Asks Nigerian Committee To Revoke “No Submission” Decision
Remember that the NOSC chairperson, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, announced the committee’s “null” vote in a formal statement,
a decision that some committee members contend was “predetermine” and made without their consent.
However, recently, the Academy intervened in the dilemma by extending the submission deadline
so that the committee members may meet again and possibly conduct a second vote.
A series of stunning charges of bribery and ferocious lobbying for “Elesin Oba”
were identified in the long-deleted “leaked” film as the main causes of the current conflict.
At least three of the committee’s members have announced their resignation since the incident. Mildred Okwo, Shaibu Husseini, and Kenneth Gyang are among the group’s members who resigned
It is however clear that the Nigeria Oscars committee will continue to stick to their decision
and it is indeed sad that even with the great films we have, none will get the chance to compete at the Oscars
