The BBNaija ‘Shine Ya Eye’ housemates with the best strategies

The key to winning the Big Brother Naija is a loyal obsessed fanbase. Housemates are increasingly conscious of this and try to appeal to specific demographics—hoping they will lengthen their stay in their house. But the approach has always been contentious: live everyday life, or play a character to appeal to viewers? But is it possible to play a character for weeks, or do housemates end up doing a bit of both? We never know.

Pere brought more attention to the topic with his targeting of White Money. He believes White Money’s monopolisation of the kitchen is a strategy. If he is responsible for their bellies, they will always need him. If they need him, they can’t nominate him for eviction. If true, it is a simple but genius idea, and any housemate with eyes on the prize will counter it. Pere did just that during his regime as Head of House, but his approach alienated him from other housemates. The jury is still out on how viewers have received his move.

All of this has made us curious about tactics in Biggie’s house, so we spoke to fans for their opinions on housemates with the best strategies this season.

On Pere and villainy

“Pere has clearly identified White Money as the strongest player in the game,” @Afrovii, a longtime fan of the show, says. “He has deliberately set himself up as his antagonist, something no one else in the house is interested in being. Thus, ensuring himself a unique storyline. It’s a great viewing experience; Nigerians tend to be sentimental and don’t enjoy an open villain.”

On Maria and being a wildcard

“I really don’t know about playing the game or strategy when it comes to Maria,” Dika Ofoma, a film critic, says. “But I do think because she came in as a wildcard, people perceive her as an excellent strategist or actor. I just think it is her personality working for her.”

He adds, “[she’s] opinionated, fun and playful. I don’t know that she’s doing anything out of the ordinary to appeal to the audience. What I can commend her on is forming binds with almost all housemates that it was impossible to suspect her as a wildcard.”

On White Money and vision

“I think he knows what he came here to do,” Ifeanyi Chidi, Riona’s head writer, opinionates. “I said it the day he walked in that he knows why he is in that house: to be seen as often as possible, to be difficult to forget.”

Nkiru Njoku, Tinsel’s head writer, buttresses Chidi’s points. “I think White Money is playing a compelling game,” she tells us. “He came into the house with a vision. His eyes are on the money. Everything that has happened so far has shown just how focused he is on escaping nomination and eviction. Even if he has to be too nice, he will be. He has a good game plan that’s working for him. People easily whip up sentiments in his support (myself included!) because he has quite effectively endeared himself to the audience by simply being a man of the people.”

On Angel and vibes

“I think Angel’s game is to explore what the house has to offer and simply enjoy herself in the house,” Tunmi says. “I see the character she’s giving us as one who is taking a break from her real life to immerse herself in this experience. I take her word for it when she says she’s in the house for vibes and to earn some money.”

Ope Adedeji, a creative writer and editor, gives another perspective on Angel: “I really like Angel, but I’m not sure her ‘be myself’ or ‘woke’ strategy is working. People in the house view her as a threat to their men. Remember, we still live in a deeply patriarchal society, and people will be hypocrites about the kissing stuff, which she unashamedly does a lot of.”

On Sammie and goodwill

“He has spent time servicing all his alliances in the house,” @Afrovii says. “He’s generally easygoing, minus his fight with Angel when almost all the Housemates took his side, they care for Sam as a younger sibling almost. This should allow him a prolonged stay in the house.”

BBNaija6 Live Broadcast

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• If you’re in Southern Africa, click here to watch the BBNaija S6 live stream.
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Toke Makinwa on BBN S6: The Buzz

Streaming on Showmax Tuesdays and Saturdays evenings, The Buzz sees the award-winning media personality share her no-holds-barred opinion on happenings in the BBNaija house. Check it out here.

Big Brother Naija is also available to watch on Africa Magic, DStv channel 198 and GOtv 29.