A total of top 30 contestants have been selected to participate in the next phase of the on-going season five of the Nigerian Idol TV music reality show. The contestants got the nod ahead of 70 others after putting up impressive showings during a technically grueling three-day theatre audition sessions conducted by the show’s celebrity judges, Dede Mabiaku, Yinka Davies and Darey ‘Art’ Alade, at the OMG’s Dream Studios, Ojodu-Omole in Lagos. Those who made the top 30 acts include Ogunmoyero Modolowamu, Iwuchukwu Franca, Oyinkepreye Deborah Toun, Edema Paradise Weyinmi, Aisosa Edeh-Nosa, Janet Ebiwari Ayoka, Anya Precious Chukusoro,Tama Nisa, Maurice Nandom Dagwa, Godson Goodluck, Annabel Paul Blacledge, Ogunrombi Kunle, Esther Aritheshoma Monday, Adigwe Brenda Ada and Okukusie Precious Ajiri.
Others are Ekeoma Victor Chibuzor, Olowojoba Segun David, Clinton Oti, Paul Manuwa, Harry Etim , Efuetanu Tobore Ezekiel, Sopriye Opusunju, Orah Ojochenemi John, Kelvin Oluwaseyi Audu, Osayomore Joseph Ighonogie, Okemiri Uloma Margaret, Iheanacho Ogechi Nancy, Omodele Diana Fatoki, Obasi Oluchi Ojukwu and Ese-Amadasun Imuetiyan. It was however a disappointing end to the aspirations of some of the contestants who failed to make it. Ame Igiri, 24 year old medical student who was rewarded with a flight ticket by the three celebrity judges at the Abuja zonal auditions said, “I have learnt my lessons in a hard way. This was my first time on this, so I did not quite understand what it would take to get to the next phase. I will go work on the things that went wrong.” The theatre auditions offer the platform for the emergence of 30 most impressive contestants who subsequently progresses to the group stage of the multi-million naira reality show. The 30 contestants will perform before live audiences in three batches of ten, from which three most outstanding performers will emerge per batch through a public voting process. The nine best performers pooled from the three batches through the voting process will be joined by three others through the judges’ wild cards to add up to the final 12.