Comedian Bovi’s new drama series “Banana Republic” mimics the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu and Adams Oshiomhole.
Obaseki run on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last goernorship election, whereas, he became the governor on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2016.
Ize-Iyamu who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2016 but run on APC in the 2020 gvernorship election.
Both men had one man in common, the former governor of the state who later became the Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
Oshiomhole supported Obaseki against Ize-Iyamu in 2016, and 2020, he backed Ize-Iyamu against Obaseki.
The Nigerian comedian mimicked the trio in episode two of the new drama.
During a brief interview on Saturday, Abovi Ugboma popualrly known for his stage name as Bovi, told Standard Gazette that his new series is a “satire” meant to “touch on the perceived chaos in governance and society” in Nigeria.
The 41-year-old comedian who hails from Delta State, Midwest region of Nigeria, said the episode two was “merely dramatizing the obvious” and the perception of the people on how the candidates traded places.
“I was merely dramatizing the obvious and how interesting it was to us the onlookers that they traded places re-political platforms they were running on. I was also trying to make it obvious that politicians will always hug and kiss in the end,” he told Standard Gazette correspondent, Ehi Ekhator.
Read Excerpt Below:
You titled your new drama series “Banana Republic”, what informed this title?
It’s a satire, and its purpose is to touch on the perceived chaos in governance and society.
Do you consider Nigeria “Banana Republic?”
By the academic definition of the phrase, no! But there are certain areas of everyday Nigerian life that fit the definition
In Episode 2, you caricatured Adams Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki, what prompted the angle and what message were you trying to send?
I was merely dramatizing the obvious and how interesting it was to us the onlookers that they traded places re-political platforms they were running on. I was also trying to make it obvious that politicians will always hug and kiss in the end
How would you describe the role of Adams Oshiomhole in 2016 and 2020’s govt election in Edo State?
I don’t know. I’m not good at analyzing politics from a professional standpoint.
Talk as a Nigerian who has no political experience, how would you describe his role?
You’re asking me to give an uninformed opinion. I may not know how to give professional answers but trust me, I know that in politics, black isn’t always black. What goes on on the inside is not always what’s reflected on the outside.
There are many confirmed reports about politicians having side chicks, your series mimicked this too. What advice do you have for politicians engaged in this act?
I don’t advice people on how they choose to run their personal lives.
COVID-19 rid Nigeria of many opportunities and businesses are facing challenges. How are you and your team coping with these challenges?
Well luckily for us, we already provided online entertainment before the virus came to town. So we were lucky to be amongst those whose business grew because everybody was home watching.
Comedy is a fast-growing industry in Nigeria and you are one of the leading comics, what advice do you have for the upcoming ones?
I wouldn’t define comedy as a fast-growing industry. It’s a full-blown industry that can compete on the world stage. My advice is, use the devices at your disposal to create content and showcase online. It’s how many of the new cats running the show emerged.
In the new series Bovi classes himself as ‘online president’ who prefers side chicks to actually performing his presidential duties.
The entire series draws a provocative perception of the new Nigeria and governance through comedy.
