Tuesday 29 November 2011

Rigging Scandal

Ini Edo
If you ever thought things couldn’t get more interesting in the world of Nollywood, I suggest you think again as the popular saying goes ‘wonders shall never cease’.
The on-going scandal that is rocking the Nigerian movie industry and has certain Nollywood divas calling out themselves on social networks has to do with a vote rigging scandal that has turned a pretty simple awards scheme to a shameless avenue for some to win at all costs.
And in the centre of the whole hullabaloo is non-other than Nollywood ‘hottie’ Iniobong Edo Ekim popularly known as Ini Edo. What is the 29-year-old up to this time you might ask? Well, Ini has been accused of rigging votes in the on-going online voting poll for the forthcoming 2011 edition of the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF).
A few months ago, a set of polls was created by AFRIFF on their official website for online users to vote for three Fly Arik Air-sponsored categories – ‘Best Female Actress’, ‘Best Male Actor’ and ‘Best Film Producer/Actor’ coming up at the awards festival. But it is the ‘Best Female Actress’ category that has gathered a lot of attention and subsequent controversial claims.
For starters, organizers of the awards have disabled the voting panel on all categories citing that they ‘identified more than 4000 masked IP addresses compromising what was meant as a free and fun process’.
‘The AFRIFF team has determined beyond a reasonable doubt that the best actress people’s choice poll has been compromised. The Voting processes for all three polls have been disabled and deliberations on how to proceed are on-going at the moment‘, a statement on the AFRIFF website reads.
15 Nollywood actresses are fielded in the ‘Best Female Actress’ category and they include Patience Ozokwor, Joke Silva, Genevieve Nnaji, Omoni Oboli, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Ini Edo, Chioma Chukwuka Akpota, Tonto Dikeh, Uche Jumbo, Monalisa Chinda, Mercy Johnson, Funke Akindele, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Stella Damasus.
A whooping total of 20,673 votes were cast within 27 days before the poll was shut down and the poll suggests that Ini Edo attracted a total of 6697 votes making up 32.4% of votes. While this looks possible, critics have shot at Edo claiming that the accumulation of her votes from 2586 to 6693 could not have been achieved during the short period of time being less than 30 minutes.
For those who followed the polls closely, as at November 22, Genevieve Nnaji had taken the lead with 1500 votes and was followed by Uche Jombo with 1115 votes, with Monalisa Chinda occupying third position with 823 votes. As at then, Edo was trailing in fifth position with a meagre 150 votes.
Other nominees have started to express their thoughts on the polls. Rita Dominic took to Twitter on Wednesday, November 23, ‘Ok I have to announce this o! INI EDO who had 200 votes last night has eclipsed the first place actress by 200 votes JEZUXXXX‘. An entertainment blogger @SDimokoKORKUS also tweeted ‘Yes I am callin out@ini4phil to explain what she did 2 increase her votes. I like 2 learn. I will calll out any actress cos I no send again!!‘.
But Edo has hit back at the colleague and critics alike by saying she has nothing to do with the hacking scandal.
I did not rig de votes or use any software to raise my votes, I came on tweeter and my fb page and asked my fans to vote 4 me. I heard some even went on air and announced. This allegation is a calculated attempt to smear my name for whatever reasons.to all my fans who voted, thank you. I appreciate all ur support and love, Godbless.happy Thanksgiving Day‘, Edo tweeted via her @Ini4phil handle.
A rep from Edo’s publicity team Pearl Concepts, who told us the actress was presently not in the country and would not be speaking directly to anybody on the matter, said ‘there’s no cheating scandal from her (Edo). I believe the sudden rise in her votes came from her fans in Liberia who were informed about the poll via radio‘. ‘Genevieve isn’t as popular as Ini Edo in Liberia‘ he added.
Well it might just be that Edo isn’t the only one that got her ‘hands dirty’. A close source to some of the actresses says that Genevieve, Monalisa Chinda and Uche Jombo were the initial perpetrators.
Genevieve isn’t coming clean with the votes and everybody knows Uche Jombo is an internet junkie’, our source who would rather remain anonymous says. One insider says that those who ratted out Ini Edo are probably ‘too scared to call out the others’.
Genevieve and Uche Jombo’s reps are yet to respond to our E-mails concerning this matter.
A comment on the website reads ‘so painful our dear actresses are now full blown PDP members so obvious I now ask how many of them are truly African ladies if they can do RIGGING‘.
The awards festival is billed to take place from November 30 to December 4, 2011.

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