Organisers of Nigeria’s prestigious music award show, The Headies, on Tuesday, announced the disqualification of popular singer, Portable, as a nominee.
The organisers said Portable had garnered negative attention from the police and the general public.
The Headies organisers in a statement, also cited the criminal investigations carried out by the police over the singer’s recent ill- behaviours and outbursts.
The organisers statement partly read, “We regret to announce that following numerous indicting statements made by Mr. Habeeb Okikiola popularly known as ‘Portable’, and the incessant negative attention that Mr Okikiola has garnered from the Nigeria Police and the general public in recent times, the organisers of the Headies have resolved to disqualify Mr Okikiola as a nominee at the forthcoming 15th Headies Awards.
“Being subject of an investigation relating to criminal activities, Mr Habeeb Okikiola is hereby disqualified from both categories of awards at the forthcoming 15th Annual Headies Awards scheduled to hold later this year.”
Portable was nominated in the Best Street Artiste and Rookie of the Year categories.
Following his nomination, Portable had also threatened other nominees of the award, which the organisers also reacted to.
Smooth Promotions Limited, the parent company of the Headies, had written a petition to the police to formally notify the Force of the singer’s threat to other nominees of the award.
They also asked the singer to tender an apology for his statement, which he later did.
But in recent times, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, has ordered the singer’s probe after he claimed in a viral video that he founded the notorious robbery gang, One Million Boys and the Ajah Boys cult group.