4th republic is a movie that captures Nigeria’s reality without bias. It tells the story of Mabel King (Kate Henshawn), a brilliant and courageous woman who is passionate about making a deliberate change, and liberate her people from the chains of bad leadership, thereby making life better for them; she is perceived as a messiah. Her personality seems too good to be true as she is bluntly against corruption even in its slightest form. She loses the gubernatorial election to her contender, the incumbent governor, Idris Sani (Sani Muazu). Following the irregularities which occurs during the election, Mabel refuses to accept the outcome. Hence, she challenges the results and petitions a tribunal which ends in her favour.
This movie brilliantly showcases the desperate and hungry taste for power, and the quest to retain it despite all odds. Governor Idris Sani, through his aide, makes several attempts to get rid of the video which serves as an evidence of the bloody massacre at Ikonu on the night of the election which was orchestrated by his cabal, all in a bid to win.
Rigging and violence seems to be a solid part of elections in Nigeria, as it is almost impossible to conduct an election devoid of these vices. This is seen at the beginning part of the movie. On the election night, Mabel’s campaign manager Sikiru Ajala (Jide Attah) encounters a group of youth corpers and uniform men in a primary school, actively tempering with the ballot papers. Sequel to his arrival, some armed men arrives the scene and waste everybody except the two corp members who manage to escape. This leads to the cancellation of votes from this LGA by INEC, hence, the victory of Idris Sani.
Politics has always worn the tag ‘dirty game’ in Nigeria. It is almost impossible to play the game without getting soiled. Danladi (Yakubu Mohammed) is made to act as a spy and witness gruesome killings as he is constantly reminded that it what it is takes to pilot political affairs.
One applaudable thing about this movie is the unexpected twist which occurs towards the end, I personally didn’t see it coming. Mabel Kings portrays herself as a symbol of righteousness. On several occasions, she refuses to bend her principles as she strongly upholds the path of truth and fairness, which earns her the loyalty of her workers. However, it is rather shocking to discover that she has hidden skeletons in her cupboard.
4th republic is set in Nigeria. Although, a fictional city, Confluence State. The producers did a great job regarding the setting. It is almost difficult for one to know the particular state the movie was shot in as everything was patterned to suit this non existing state.
Following the desire of women to be in power and the limitations always created, it was quite amazing following the energetic and zealous character, Mabel King, who appeared as an extraordinary woman; the choice of the people. To an extent, it helps in reassuring women that they can break these existing limitations and exceedingly succeed in politics.
The cast of this movie seem to have been carefully selected as they interpreted their roles without obvious flaws. Although Amina (Saratu Ibrahim), the female corp member, seemed a bit too dull in her character interpretation, while Ike ( Eyinna Nwigwe), Mabel Kings(Kate Henshaw) and Bukky (Linda Ejiofor) deserve special accolades for putting so much life into their characters, I really enjoyed watching them.
4th Republic is an impressive political thriller which brilliantly reflects Nigeria’s political state with a refreshing story line. It is an intriguing movie worth watching as it is a proof that Nollywood still make great movies.
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