Nigerian Idol: Two down, 11 to go

Nina and Ola probably felt they might clinch the Nigerian Idol crown, but their hopes were dashed last week when the eviction hammer fell on them and they were kicked out of the show.

After their eviction was announced, the audience was treated to a recap of their journey so far. If the judges had had their way, they wouldn’t have allowed the eviction.

“It’s a tough decision to make, but if I had my way, I’d send Yeka Onka parking without looking back,” Yinka Davies said right before Anis announced Nina and Ola as the contestants with the lowest number of votes.

But then, the format has to be followed. The judges no longer have a say, but the members of the audience do, and so Ola and Nina had to leave.

Nina, a lawyer, unlike most of the other contestants, has a background in dance, and not music. She has been a dancer since childhood and was a member of a dance group in the university. The graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, manages a spa in Abuja.

Ola (Olamide in full) is the most laid-back among all the Nigerian Idol contestants. The 200 level student of Babcock University, Ilisan, claims that even though he is the first to sing professionally in his family, the family members are involved in music, whether singing as an amateur or just appreciating good music.

With the two contestants out of the competition, there are now 11 contestants remaining in the house. Expect things to get tougher and more exciting as these contestants slug it out for the N7.5m star prize and a record deal with Sony BMG.