Aftermath of AMVCA, Top Winner, Kunle Afolayan In Trouble

After emerging the biggest winner at this year’s Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), prolific actor and director, Kunle Afolayan may have found himself in trouble with the organizers of the award. Afolayan, with his latest film, October 1, won Best Director, Best Lightening, Best Supporting Actress in Drama and Over All Best Film of 2014. But his utterances at the event may have pitched him against the sponsors of the award.

Nigerian Breweries through its brand, Amstel Malta, sponsored the award put together by African Magic/Mnet. The brewing legend also gave some winners N1million and 6 months supply of Amstel Malta, in which Afolayan was also a beneficiary.

But surprising, while giving his thank you speech during the award presentation, instead of heaping praises on the sponsors, the actor started praising Guinness Nigeria and other brands that sponsored the winning film-October 1, and this we gathered did not go down well with Nigerian Breweries.

Guinness and Nigerian Breweries are known to be arch-rivals in the brewing sector. The two companies have a long history of rivalry in the Nigerian market. “For Kunle to have showered praises on his film sponsor at that peak hour that all African countries are watching, it’s like throwing a big blow on Nigerian Breweries, said a business expert.

Sources added that following the event, the management of Nigerian Breweries is vexed with the highly rated actor over his unguided utterances.

The award was held with much glitz and glamour on March 7, 2015 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.