By BENJAMIN NJOKU

The stage is now set for Eye-D and Evelle to battle for the top prize in this year’s music talent hunt show, Nigerian Idol. Coincidentally, both Eye-D and Evelle are Wild Card returnees, which means after they were voted out in the Top 30 stage, the judges spotted something unique in them and decided to bring them back through the Wild Card.

Billed for Saturday June 7, at the Dream Studios, Ikeja, Lagos, the final performance of the Top Two contestants will be based on songs from their birth years and also the judges’ picks. In essence, they will be performing for the final round of votes by singing songs the judges have selected for them and also songs that rocked their airwaves and topped charts and billboards the years they were born.

More than before, viewer’s votes will be most valuable to them now as the result show after their performance. After all, it’s the grand finale. Whoever pools the highest number of votes today automatically becomes the new Nigerian Idol and will walk away with a whooping sum of N7.5million, including an SUV jeep and other consolation prices. Unlike in the last edition, the runner-up this year will also get a brand new car as consolation prize for making it to the finals.

Speaking during the week ahead of the grand finale, the Executive Producer of the show represented by the CEO of Optima Media, Rotimi Pedro, noted that it has been an interesting journey, which went round five different cities in the country, scooping talents.“We actually went round the cities to select the contestants, who were later trimmed down to 30 and later 12 finalists. Now, the stage is set for the grand finale. Any of the two can win it,” he said.

“We are using the platform to campaign for the release of our girls who were abducted by the Boko Haram sect. Fortunately, the two finalists are girls. Each year, we give the winner a task. So this year, the winner will be joining the campaign and help mount pressure for the release of our girls. However, the 12 finalists will also produce a song in that direction,” Rotimi added.

According to the judges, Evelle and Eye-D justified their Wild Card choices by getting to the grand finale of the competition. They have improved and shown growth in the way they perform on stage, sing and connect with the audience.

While Nigerians anxiously wait to see who emerges winner, they will also be served musical dishes in live performances by notable stars including Tuface Idibia and Dare Art Alade.