Entertainment
D’banj, Simi, Obi Asika Returning As Judges On Nigerian Idol – Temjumola
The Executive Head of Content and West Africa Channels at MultiChoice Nigeria, Dr. Busola Tejumola, announced that two singers D’banj and Simi, will be returning as judges for the eighth season of Nigerian Idol.
MultiChoice Nigeria is the producer of the country’s most prestigious singing competition, and the show is set to premiere on April 23rd
According to Tejumola, the superstars are being returned as judges following their experiences as performers and brilliant outing at the last edition that saw Progress Chukwuyem emerge as the winner, walking away with N100 million worth of gifts.
Speaking at the media unveiling of the show and the judges during the week, Tejumola said TV host IK Osakioduwa will return for the third time as the host of the show alongside music producer, Obi Asika who will also be a judge in his third season.
“Nigerian Idol has continued to offer talented Nigerian artists the platform to show the continent what they can do and an opportunity to rise to fame through hard work and dedication. It is a rare chance to gain access to the hands-on mentorship provided by the judges, our vocal coaches, the world-class production team and the choreographers that altogether unveil the intricacies of the industry to these talents and a chance for them to hone the skill in readiness for their contracts,” Tejumola said.
She added: “This year we are thrilled to have our entire panel of judges back – D’Banj, Simi, Obi Asika. They will return to steer the course of affairs. We look forward to a wide array of music and song choices across genres and spectacular performances that together deliver a fantastic show.”
On her part, one of the judges, Simi, said for a Nigerian Idol, “talent is not enough but must have a great work ethic and be passionate about his work”.
On the other hand, Obi Asika confessed he was looking forward to beginning the journey of choosing a new winner.
He said, “If you are going to make it to the top 20, that’s a real fight because there are a lot of people, and many fall off. Every single year, I’m upset that we left some people behind. It’s always a battle, but it’s also a pleasure. We are blessed with incredible talents. It’s one of the things that make Nigerians special. These amazing talents come through every year, and I can assure you that there are special people this season.”
The popular TV show Nigerian Idol is making a comeback for its eighth season, with auditions conducted both online and in person after Multichoice announced the show’s return in January. The season will commence on April 23, with the airing of the audition recordings.
The audition and theatre weeks will be aired from April 23 to May 21. The live shows will start on May 28 and end on July 16, with the announcement of the new Nigerian Idol.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has congratulated his nephew and global music icon, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido on the occasion of his birthday, describing him as a superstar Osun State is proud of.
This was revealed in a statement by his Spokesperson Olawale Rasheed, where he cited Gov Aeleke as pointing to Davido’s consistency, energy and passion yielding the result he has recorded not only in his music career but also in his life as a person.
Gov Adeleke, stated Rasheed, prayed for progress, more success and achievement for Davido, while commending his continuous outreach to the orphanages and less privileged, which he described as ‘a noble act every blessed hand in Nigeria must emulate’.
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He said, ” I want to rejoice with my nephew, David Adeleke, Davido, on the occasion of his 32nd birthday, I am very happy we are all alive to witness it.
“Davido is a global super star that Osun State is very proud of. The consistency, energy and passion he has inserted into building his music career is evident in the result he has recorded not only in his career but also in his life as a person.
“I pray for him for progress, more success and achievement in long life, prosperity, sound health and mind.
“I equally want to commend his continuous outreach to the orphanages and less privileged. I must say that this is a noble act every blessed hand in Nigeria must emulate.
“Once again, Happy Birthday to Davido”.
Afrobeats sensation Wizkid has unveiled his highly anticipated sixth studio album, Morayo, released today (Nov. 22) via Starboy Entertainment and RCA Records.
The album, whose title translates to “I see joy” in Yoruba, is an emotional tribute to his late mother, Juliana Morayo Balogun, who passed away in August 2023.
“Best album I ever made!! Now listen! It’s only up from here!” the Grammy-winning artist tweeted in July, building anticipation for the 16-track project.
Morayo features an impressive lineup of collaborations, including Brent Faiyaz on “Piece of My Heart,” Asake on “Bad Girl,” Tiakola on “Après Minuit,” Jazmine Sullivan on “Bad For You,” and Anaïs on “Slow.” The album also includes previously released singles like “Piece of My Heart,” which reached No. 4 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart and No. 7 on World Digital Song Sales, and “Kese (Dance).”
Notably, Wizkid and Asake’s collaboration on “MMS” has earned a Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance in 2025, cementing their impact on the global music stage.
READ MORE: Wizkid Unveils Morayo Album Tracklist Featuring Asake
The tracklist for Morayo includes:
1. Troubled Mind
2. Karamo
3. Kese (Dance)
4. Bad Girl (feat. Asake)
5. Time
6. Piece of My Heart (feat. Brent Faiyaz)
7. Break Me Down
8. Bend
9. A Million Blessing
10. Après Minuit (feat. Tiakola)
11. Bad For You (feat. Jazmine Sullivan)
12. Soji
13. Don’t Care
14. Slow (feat. Anaïs)
15. Lose
16. Pray
This marks Wizkid’s first album in three years, following More Love, Less Ego, which reached No. 2 on the World Albums chart and No. 59 on the Billboard 200. His previous projects, including the Grammy-nominated Made in Lagos (Deluxe), have solidified his place as a global music icon.
Fans can stream Morayo now and experience the evolution of Wizkid’s sound, deeply rooted in love, loss, and celebration.
Model Olajumoke Orisaguna, popularly known as Olajumoke Onibread, has opened up about her traumatic experiences in her marriage, accusing her ex-husband, Sunday Orisaguna, of domestic violence and ruining her career.
In an interview with City FM, Olajumoke shared harrowing details of her past, highlighting the abuse she endured during her time in her ex-husband’s family home in Ire, Osun State.
“We stayed in my husband’s family house at Ire in Osun State, and there is no way you stay in such a place that you would not encounter problems,” she recounted.
Olajumoke revealed that her mother-in-law’s hostility exacerbated the situation, as her ex-husband often sided with his mother without hearing her perspective.
“He would not hear my own side of the story before beating me. Whenever I had a misunderstanding with his mother, he would beat me to the extent that my face and body would be swollen. Sometimes he would even use a belt,” she said.
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She further explained how she kept the abuse hidden to avoid upsetting her mother, who also lived nearby. Despite the hardships, Olajumoke continued to support the family financially, as her husband was unemployed.
Reflecting on a pivotal moment in January 2016, Olajumoke described the day she decided to leave:
“We were frying akara for his dad’s remembrance when I had an issue with his elder sister. As usual, he beat me up, and I decided that I was going to leave, move to Lagos, and start working at the bakery because I had been there before.”
Three days later, she relocated to Lagos with her two children. According to Olajumoke, the separation led to further challenges as her ex-husband began tarnishing her reputation, contributing to her career’s decline.
“Everything started going down the drain after separation because he started spoiling my name. Since then, things started going down,” she lamented.
Olajumoke, who rose to fame in 2016 after a chance encounter during a photoshoot with British rapper Tinie Tempah and photographer TY Bello, is now using her platform to shed light on the struggles she endured.
The model’s story has reignited conversations about domestic abuse and the societal pressures faced by women in similar situations.
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