After a couple of postponements, the Directors Guild of Nigeria, DGN, Nollywood’s most prestigious Guild, will elect it’s sixth President on Saturday, March 6, 2021.
Incumbent, Fred Amata, will be leaving the job after two terms which he commenced in 2016. Although his tenure elapsed about April 2020, the Guild asked him to continue as the Coronavirus pandemic made it impossible to organise elections until now.
The election was initially slated for January, but the Barr. Tunji Bamishigbin-led DGNEC opted for March, to enable them organise a proper poll.
The four men who are battle ready for Fred Amata’s job are: Kehinde Soaga, MacCollins Chidebe, Yinka Akanbi and Victor Okhai.
Founded in 1999, DGN has so far enthroned five presidents, namely: Matthias Obahiagbon Fidelis Duker, Bond Emeruwa, Andy Amenechi and the out-going president, Olorogun Fred Amata.
HOW THE CANDIDATES WILL BE ELECTED
According to information from DGNEC, the election will be half physical, half virtual, in compliance with Covid-19 rules. DGNEC said members will converge at their different zones to cast their votes. Already, members of the DGNEC and select observers from othe Guilds, have been dispatched to the zones to conduct the elections while Lagos Zone election will be taking place at the DGN Secretariat, 15, Simisola Street, Off Ogunlana Drive, Off Olufemi Street, Surulere, Lagos with the Chairman of DGNEC in charge. Accreditation will commence 10am while election proper will hold by 12:30pm.
HOW THE ANALYSTS SEE THE CONTENDERS
Those who watch Nollywood politics say the battle will be fiercely fought as the four men have almost equal chances.
As at last year, industry analysts had Victor Okhai, as favourite to emerge as president. Okhai, a founding father of DGN and first Secretary General during the Mathaias Obahiagbon administration, is entrenched in Nollywood as a teacher, content creator, etc. As at today, Okhai has the endorsements of the who’s who in Nollywood, even though most of the endorsers have no voting powers. He also parades one of the most influential players in the guild-Famous Otakponwen as his campaign Director General.
However, he still has a few issues that would prevent a landslide. One of such is his elitist makeup. Some of his voters believe he is quite detached from the ordinary director.
Industry analysts also say the death of legendary filmmaker, Chico Ejiro, will hurt his votes. They argue that Chico’s power bloc, the ‘West Coast’, would have rallied votes for him just as the group did for Fred Amata against Lancelot Imasuen in 2016.
How Yinka Akanbi will utilise his contacts garnered since he became the Lagos Coordinator of the guild in 2018, is yet to be seen. But industry politicos say he would play the biggest spoiler between Victor Okhai and MacCollins Chidebe(China) whom they tip as the front runners. The front runners are expected to ‘deal’ with him for the Lagos and South West votes.
As far as political analyses go, ‘Nwa Ekwensu’ producer, Kehinde Soaga will struggle at the polls. The poll watchers say the popular ‘Lagos na wa’ producer cannot best Yinka Akanbi and Victor Okhai on the South West votes. Soaga, they also contend, has little or no followership in the other zones.
MacCollins Chidebe(China) is the other man expected to carry the day if Okhai slips. Poll analysts agree that he will struggle in the sharing of the Lagos and South West votes-except he is favoured in a deal with the Yinka Akanbi bloc.
China will also struggle for a fair share of the votes coming from the Benin zone. But he is looked upon as the one who will get a large chunk of the Enugu, Port Harcourt, Asaba zones and as well compete fairly for the votes from Abuja zone.
–Charles Nwagbara
