Obi Emelonye’s biopic on the ex-military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, titled ‘BADAMASI: Portrait of a General’, will premiere on June 12, 2021, at Cineworld, O2 Arena, London, UK.
It features a stellar cast led by Enyinna Nwigwe, reprising the eponymous role. Others are Nollywood greats, including Yakubu Mohammed, Julius Agwu, Charles Inojie, Kalu Ikeagwu, Okey Bakassi, Anthony Monjaro and Ali Nuhu, amongst others.
The intense military dramatic action is set mainly in the 1980s/1990s Nigeria. It highlights some of the most remarkable events that have shaped Nigeria’s political and historical landscape, as seen through the eyes of principal characters who participated in these epochal events.
Speaking about the premiere, Emelonye said though it is mainly for guests, a few tickets are available for purchase.
He said, “As a creative entrepreneur, I have believed in driving my plan and being in charge of my destiny. This premiere emerged from that ‘yes, we can’ mindset. And just like I did with ‘The Mirror Boy’ and ‘Last Flight to Abuja’, I believe that if we put up the right event in the right venue and promote it right, people would come.
“The world premiere of BADAMASI is happening in the UK- at the classy Cineworld at the iconic London O2 Arena. It is an exclusive event for special guests. However, we have a minimal number of tickets (we call ‘Coup-ons’) available for interested members of the public and our supporters to purchase from the ticketing site www.eventbrite.co.uk. Then they can come and be part of the first red carpet event of the post-COVID-19 era in the UK.”
The biopic’s subject is one of the most controversial personalities in Nigeria’s socio-political history since Independence. He lives in retirement at his Hilltop residence in Minna, Niger State.