The Headies, a yearly musical awards show now in its fourteen season, held last night and it was quite a muted affair, understandably so. Holding within the limitations and restrictions the coronavirus pandemic has imposed, the Headies had its moments nonetheless, from the performances and Fireboy DML bagging five awards (the most from the night), including best RnB album.
And there was the celebrity fashion, which was a mixed bag. But the celebrity that has got everyone talking about is comedian Bovi, who incidentally was the co-host (alongside Nancy Isime again) and came on stage wearing a white tunic printed with a blood-splattered Nigerian flag that became another symbol of the #ENDSARS protests after the Lekki shooting of October last year.
The comedian has been hailed by Nigerians as the best dressed, a step up from his first and bland outfit of the show. In recent years, awards shows have been like conduits to press for social change, whether it is to highlight racism, unfair wages, climate change, and sexual assault. Last year, Tiwa Savage inserted ”who gave the order?” in her MOBO performance, drawing attention to the injustice and lack of accountability around the Lekki Toll Gate massacre. Likewise, Bovi’s sartorial choice to envelop himself in a symbol of the #ENDSARS protests is a powerful message that can’t be ignored.
It’s a message to the government that we have not forgotten about the tragic Lekki shooting, and by extension a way to immortalise the memories of the victims. Also, it’s a message that the fight to be treated with dignity as citizens is far from over.
When Bernard Dayo isn’t writing about pop culture, he’s watching horror movies and reading comics and trying to pretend his addiction to Netflix isn’t a serious condition.
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