Voting for Arik Airline Awards category for Best Actress at the forthcoming African International Film Festival which commenced online on Wednesday has been suspended.

The festival is scheduled to hold from November 30, through December 5th , at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

The decision to suspend the voting process, our sources revealed, was reached after the organisers realized it had been hijacked by some nominees.

One of the festival officials, Stella Dimoko, who was monitoring the process alongside actress Rita Dominic are allegedly pointing accusing fingers at actress Ini Edo.

Ini Edo

In a conversation that ensued between the two people, via Twitter, and published on Linda Ikeji’s blog, Rita Dominic accused Ini Edo of manipulating the process.

Twitting Rita said; “Ok, I have to announce this o! INI EDO who had 200 votes last night has eclipsed the first actress by 200 votes. JEZUXXXX”

Stella Dimoko replied this way: “If d oda contenders were cheatn, dey must hve don it with sense. Hw d hell am I suppose to kip quiet wen @ ini 4phil takes d cheating overboard?

“Yes I am callin out @ ini 4 phil to explain what she did 2 increase her votes. I like 2 learn. I will call out any actress cos I no send again…”

Meanwhile, at the pre-festival party held last weekend, at Ember Creek, located along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, the festival technical director, Ms. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe urged Nollywood practitioners to attend the festival in their numbers as it will afford them the rare opportunity to meet and interact with their counterparts from different parts of the world.

According to her, the Caribbean delegation will add flavor to this year’s edition with their reggae and calypso dance.

“This festival will meet all the standards you can ever get in any major international film festival. We have focused more on generating content that will be value-adding to all segments of public that will attend the 5-day event.

There will be workshops, symposium, exhibitions , screening, premiere, screening of films amongst other programmes.”