‘Ajakaju’ producer makes U-turn, awards ‘best-dressed female’ to two ladies

Eniola Ajao, the movie producer, has apologised over the controversies trailing the ‘best-dressed female’ award presented to Bobrisky, the crossdresser, at her recently-held movie premiere.

‘Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds’ premiere was held on Sunday at Circle Mall, Lekki, Lagos.

Femi Adebayo announced the self-acclaimed transgender as the winner of the N1 million attached to the award.

Bobrisky’s victory, however, stirred controversies online with celebrities and fans questioning the parameters used in handing out the award.

There was a heated war of words between actress Dayo Amusa and Omotayo Sanusi, Adebayo’s wife, while Portable, the controversial singer, referred to Bobrisky as a “disgrace to brotherhood”.

But in an Instagram post, Ajao apologised to all the parties involved in the saga.

The filmmaker expressed “reverence for women” while pledging “never to engage in behaviour that diminishes their role in society”.

The movie star explained that the decision to hand Bobrisky the ‘best-dressed female’ award was a “ploy to create publicity” for the movie.

To make amends, Eniola also announced two new winners for the ‘best-dressed female’ category, adding that each will receive N1 million as a “token of my sincere apology and appreciation for their grace and elegance”.

“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 selection of Best Dressed at the premiere of “AJAKAJU,” the statement reads in part.

“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 want to express my profound apologies. As a woman myself, I understand the importance of upholding and honoring our gender with dignity and respect. I want to assure you that I hold the utmost reverence for womanhood, and I would never intentionally engage in any behavior that diminishes or disparages the role of women in our society.

“I also extend my heartfelt apologies to My honorable and supportive boss Femi Adebayo @femiadebayosalami and his wife, @iyanaladuke and @dayoamusa for the undue backlash they faced as a result of the announcement made at our event. I deeply regret the insults and disrespect directed towards them, and I take full responsibility for any harm caused.

“To Bobrisky @bobrisky222 I offer my sincere apologies for putting you in a difficult position. The decision to award you was never meant to cause harm or controversy but was rather an attempt to generate publicity for our movie. I am truly sorry for any distress this may have caused you.

“To make amends and correct my mistakes, I have decided to honour two females, Bode Alao and one other beautiful woman as the best-dressed females at the premiere. Each will receive a sum of N1,000,000.”

It, however, remains to be seen if the award and money handed to Bobrisky would be taken from her.