By Felix Akpan
For me, the most interesting part of the Big Brother Naija Season 5 reality show is the diary session, particularly the ones that the housemates have to nominate fellow housemates for possible eviction. Evidently, when it comes to eviction most housemates allow their emotions to overshadow them instead of acting rationally. They forget that it is a zero-sum game. The winner takes all kind of game. They also forget that everyone in the House is interested in emerging as the overall winner irrespective of how close you think they are to you or otherwise. Thus, the only cogent reason for nominating any housemate for possible eviction should be if he or she is a threat to your winning the game. Any consideration other than that vitiates the essence of the game.
The Big Brother Naija is a strategic game. Housemates are expected to form strategic alliance with fellow housemates, in a way that those they have such pact with, do not nominate them for possible eviction. For the viewers, housemates are supposed to use everything in the Big Brother House to create content with positive vibes to entertain them, so that they vote to retain them in the House.
Let me elucidate on what I mean by creating content: Kiddwaya is using Erica, workout and cooking to create content in the House to entertain viewers. Nengi is using Ozoemena and her natural endowment to create content. Laycon is using his intellect and musical talent to create content. Lucy is using her morals and home training to create content. Dorothy is using her amiable disposition, Lucy and Ozoemena to create content. Erica might be using Kiddwaya too, dancing and drinking to create content. Tolanibaj is using Prince to create content and other housemates are creating their own contents too. To a large extent, the content you create and how it resonates with the viewers determines the votes you get. It might also determine how long the housemates would stay in the Big Brother House.
Therefore, when it comes to nomination for possible eviction, the housemates are suppose to nominate strong contenders in the House as against weak contenders. Strong contenders are those with good content and vibes, while weak contenders are those who do not have much to offer both the housemates and the viewers. This is because the chances of a weaker contender remaining in the House increase with the eviction of a strong contender, especially now that the housemates are the ones who determine which housemate stays or leaves after the viewers might have voted. In my opinion, a weaker contender nominating a fellow weaker contender for possible eviction increases the propensity of himself or herself being evicted whenever he or she is up for eviction against a strong contender.
That's what's currently playing out in the Big Brother House at the moment. For instance, during the last eviction exercise, Trikytee, Neo, Kaisha and Wathoni were up for possible eviction. Amongst the four of them, Trikytee is the strongest in terms of his engagement in the House and vibes. So, strategically, he should have been the one that most housemates, especially, the weaker contenders should have voted for possible eviction instead of Kaisha. That's because the weaker contenders have a slim chance of surviving the next eviction against Trikytee than if they were up against Kaisha whom they have evicted.
Unfortunately, it seems like most housemates do not know how to play the game based on how they nominate fellow housemates for possible eviction. Rather than trying to get rid of strong contenders like Kiddwaya, Ozoemena, Prince, Nengi, Dorothy, Erica and Laycon whenever they have the opportunity, it is the weaker contenders that are their primary focus. They forget that a time would come when they would be nominated against those strong contenders. And you can guess what would befall them.
The BBNaija provides the viewers the opportunity of learning how to make decision in a competitive situation that requires only one outcome. It shows that in such situations, no sentiment or emotions is required. You take your chances whenever the opportunity comes otherwise you might regret it at the end, if you don't win the game.
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